Live Laugh Love
by TransfiguredToad
Summary: The Ministers of Magic from all over the world look at the population of the wizarding world. It is declining rapidly. They need more people, more children and, so, every student from every school in the wizarding world is sent to a town where they are given children to raise and a relationship to flourish. H/G, R/H, D/H
1. Chapter 1

Live Laugh Love

Chapter One

Ginny watched Harry skip stones into the lake by the Burrow. He hadn't spoken to any of them since he'd arrived at the Burrow, except upon prompting. He'd arrived the day before with Dumbledore, late at night, and hadn't eaten anything at breakfast. He had gone straight outside then, without talking to anyone. Ginny had followed and had sat behind him, unnoticed, for an hour now.

Swallowing, she stood up, left her shoes and socks by the tree and walked slowly to sit down next to Harry, putting her feet in the water with Harry's. "Hey," she said. Harry's eyes stayed forward.

"Don't try to make me talk, Gin. I'm not in the mood," Harry said harshly. Ginny didn't draw back. She sat with him. Not long later, Harry spoke again. "What do you want, Ginny?" he asked.

Ginny took his hand, on a whim, and squeezed it. "Nothing."

Harry looked uncomfortable. Ginny moved slightly closer to him and leaned her head on his shoulder. "Ginny," Harry started.

"You don't need to talk, Harry; I get it," she said.

It was ten minutes later, when Harry spoke, "He possessed me, Gin, so I suppose you do get it." Ginny moved to look at him. "When I chased after Bellatrix, I tried to cast the cruciatus on her," he admitted. "It didn't work. She fell to the ground. Apparently, I didn't hate her enough. She killed Sirius and I didn't hate her enough," he continued, looking angry. Ginny squeezed his hand again. "And then Voldemort was there and then Dumbledore and they duelled. I'll never get that good, Gin. I'll never be able to defeat Voldemort," he told her.

"You don't have to!" Ginny cried out. "Harry, that's not your responsibility!"

Harry laughed harshly and continued, "Voldemort left and he possessed me. It was like my scar was splitting open. He made me tell Dumbledore to kill me." Ginny buried her face into Harry's shoulder. "I thought of Sirius and seeing him again, because I thought I was going to die, and then, because of how much I care – cared for Sirius," Ginny noticed that he didn't say 'love'. "Voldemort was gone. He couldn't stand it."

And then he was silent. Ginny kicked her feet in the water slightly, causing a slight splash. She then noticed that Harry was only wearing shorts. His legs were hairy enough to show that he'd grown up, but not too hairy as to hide his slightly tanned calves and thighs. The water splashed Harry's legs, but he ignored it. Deciding to cheer Harry up, Ginny splashed more water and Harry still didn't look up. She then used her hands and splashed water onto his lap. Harry turned his head to look at her and glared.

He kicked with his considerably longer legs than Ginny's and splashed her in the chest and legs. "Oi!" she said, laughing. Harry then pushed slightly on her shoulder so that she fell in. She went under and Harry freaked.

"Ginny!" he shouted, but then he felt the hands on his legs, pulling him in. "Hey!" he shouted as he emerged himself in the cold water. Ginny giggled and her head bobbed back up. Harry was clutching the side of the lake. "I can't swim, Gin," he told her, watching her smile drop from her face. "I mean, I learnt a bit at primary school, but-"

Ginny looked horrified. "I'm sorry, Harry!" she cried, looking as if she was actually going to start crying. Then her face morphed into one of hope. "Do you want me to teach you?

They were swimming for two hours when Harry felt that he could swim pretty well. He could do the width of the lake without stopping and he almost had the length. "Thank you, Gin," he said, smiling at her. "This was fun," he nodded. Ginny reciprocated and then hugged him. Harry froze. He didn't like contact; he never had. Then again, he considered, having a very attractive girl's breasts pushed into you was never something to say no to. So, he hugged back.

Eventually, Ginny moved her head from his shoulder and looked up at him. Her t-shirt was heavy with water and sagged a bit, showing her cleavage. Her hair was wet and strands hung loosely on the front of her face. He looked down to her lips. She bit her bottom one. Harry moved one of his hands and tucked one of the longer strands of hair behind her ear, before starting to lean in to kiss her. He was going to kiss her. He was. He was getting closer. Her lips looked so soft, so perfect –

"Oi! Harry! Ginny!"

It was the twins. Harry swallowed and looked away from Ginny.

"You better come!"

They sounded serious. Serious twins was never a good sign. Harry swam to the side of the lake and pushed himself out of the water with Ginny following. The twins took out their wands and dried them. Harry was worried. Normally, Fred and George would leave them to freeze. "Come on."

Harry and Ginny followed the twins back to the house, where Ron, Hermione and Mrs Weasley sat. Ron and Hermione held opened letters. Fred and George left. No one spoke as Harry and Ginny sat down and opened their letters. Harry started with the envelope addressed to him in green ink.

**_HARRY POTTER'S OWL RESULTS_**

_ASTRONOMY – A_

_CARE OF MAGICAL CREATURES – E_

_CHARMS – O_

_DEFENCE AGAINST THE DARK ARTS – O_

_DIVINATION – P_

_FLYING – O_

_HERBOLOGY – E_

_HISTORY OF MAGIC – D_

_POTIONS – O_

_TRANSFIGURATION – O _

Harry didn't understand what the others were so morbid about. Maybe they'd failed all their OWLs. Harry was ecstatically happy. Five Outstandings, including one in Potions. He'd only failed two and had an acceptable and two exceeds expectations. This was brilliant. He looked over to Ginny and watched her eyes widen and mouth drop open.

Harry opened his second envelope, furrowing his brow. A notebook and pen fell out.

_Dear Mr Potter,_

_Due to unfortunate circumstances, the wizarding world's population is declining rapidly. Most families are having just one child and, in some cases, none at all. When a wizard or witch has a child with a muggle, the magical power loses some of its purity and strength. Fortunately, your Ministry has a solution. For the next five years, yourself and a witch of the ministry's choosing will be living under certain conditions in a Ministry-created town, called Minborn, which will be split into fifteen areas, with heads leading each section._

_Using DNA given at birth, we have created children for yourself and your partner. Each person will have at least one child of each gender, who will be real. At the end of the five years, these children will stay with you and you will watch them grow up as your own children. They have your DNA, just as a traditionally-born baby would have._

_Because of the amount of people from the major schools in the world that will be going to Minborn, allowing you to use your wands would cause a magical overload. You will be allowed to use magic for just an hour every day. This timeslot will be given to you in a letter tomorrow, along with more information about your trip._

_Each family will be given a sum of money and a house, as well as a choice of jobs. You will need to fill in the forms quickly, when you receive them tomorrow, detailing your job choice, or they will be snatched up. You must also think up two boy names and two girl names, ready to give them in tomorrow for checking and confirming, and write them down, for now, in the muggle notepads given with the muggle pens._

_You will receive more information tomorrow._

_Good luck._

_Madam Debra Bridge_

Harry stared at the parchment. "How can they do this to us?" he asked Mrs Weasley.

"They can't just marry us off!" Ginny exclaimed, brushing her hand through her hair. Ginny looked over to Hermione, expecting her to have a solution, like she always did. Hermione was slumped against the back of her chair, eyes wet, reading over the letter over and over. She shook her head. "This isn't fair!" Ginny screamed, "I don't want to be a mum! I don't want some little brats to look after!"

Molly shot a harsh look at her daughter, "I can't imagine that they would trust you with a child, Ginevra, considering you are acting like one." Ginny glared through wet eyes. "None of us want this. Do you think I don't want to see you for five years? Do you think I don't want to meet my grandchildren for five years? You are my daughter, Ginny, and I have to leave you alone for five years. You have some serious growing up to do. Now, each one of you is going to write down four names that you want to call your children."

Ginny took her notebook and stormed upstairs, where she wrote down the four names she had always dreamed of calling her children:

_Boys_

_James Arthur_

_Daniel William_

_Girls_

_Lily Ginevra_

_Elmira Molly_

Of course, none of that would happen now. She thought of all her dreams of a life with Harry, with baby James and baby Lily. Harry would be a brilliant dad and a brilliant husband. She would be Mrs Ginny Potter. Their almost kiss in the lake that morning had brought her hopes up again, only to be shot down by the letter.

Ginny dissolved into the sobs she'd been holding in since she opened her letter.

**LiveLoveLaugh**

Downstairs, Hermione scratched down one name – Ailsa Jean. She saw that Ron was drawing quaffles in the notebook, bored. He had, at least, drawn a line down the middle of the page, one side reading 'Boys' and the other 'Girls'. Harry had done the same, but he had Lily on one side and James on the other. Hermione smiled sadly.

It was an hour of silence later, after Hermione had added Jesse to the boys list and Juliet to the girls, that Ginny swung down the stairs, her eyes looking red, with her notebook in hand. She looked directly at her mother, "We need to learn how to cook," Ginny said. Mrs Weasley nodded.

"Let's see the names first, dear," Mrs Weasley asked, smiling. She opened up the book to find five names. "Elijah Arthur, Daniel William, Anna Ginevra, Elmira Molly, Sera. What about Sera Muriel, Ginny?"

Ginny rolled her eyes and then said insistently, "Will you teach us to cook, Mum?"

"Yes, once I look at Hermione's and the boys' names," she said. She picked up Hermione's names first and read, "Ailsa Jean, Jesse Michael and Juliet. Have you got no middle name for her, dear?" Molly asked.

"I'm sure one will come to me," Hermione said. "Why don't you read Ron and Harry's?" she suggested, earning glares from both of her best friends. Hermione snorted. Ginny rolled her eyes at the boys.

Mrs Weasley picked up Ron's book first and found just a first name in the boys' list – Andrew. Harry's list, however, had all four names. "James Remus, Lily, Sirius Arthur and Merida Molly," she read, near tears by the end. She kissed Harry's hair and ruffled it. Harry blushed and Ron snickered. "Now, Ginevra, I will teach you all to cook, the muggle way."

"Oh, Mrs Weasley," Harry said, "I already know how to cook."

"We'll see." Mrs Weasley said, "Now, until we can find somebody who actually knows how to make meals the muggle way, we will just make bread. Ginny, go with Harry and get some flour, yeast, butter, salt and the jug from the cupboard, would you?"

Ginny nodded and led Harry to the cupboard. When they were in there, Ginny began routing around for some flour.

"Ginny," Harry called her to attention. She looked at him and he continued, "Can I kiss you?" he asked. Ginny's eyes widened as she nodded. "I can't get married to someone and know that I won't ever be able to do this," he said, before closing the distance between them.

His lips were soft, Ginny noticed, and moist. The kiss was slow and gentle and Harry wrapped his arms around her waist, drawing her closer. He turned his head to deepen the kiss and Ginny complied. It was wonderful, much better than anything with Michael.

Eventually, Harry drew away, leaving Ginny with swollen lips and wide eyes. He was reaching up for some yeast on the top shelf and already holding a bag of flower. He walked over to the corner for the butter and Ginny picked up some salt and the jug.

Ginny nodded, trying to wrap her head around what had just happened, and watched him leave, knowing that, whilst the morning's swim had helped, Harry wasn't happy, not that she was surprised. Sirius had been murdered. She followed Harry into the kitchen.

Ron and Hermione had cleared the table and Mrs Weasley had four mixing bowls out. Ron and Hermione stood on one side of the table and Harry and Ginny stood on the other. And Mrs Weasley began dictating what to measure out, how to mix in each stage and when to pour each thing in.

"Why isn't it working?" Ginny cried, stirring harder. She'd been trying for it to come together for at least ten minutes now. Harry was done and his was wrapped in clingfilm and put in the boiler cupboard.

"Want some help?" Harry asked her, from behind. Ginny almost sighed in pleasure as Harry took over. His voice had broken in the last year and it was unbelievably sexy. His Adam's apple jutted out and his chin was covered in a light stubble, from not shaving. She stared at his well-shaped arse, as he stirred her bread mixture, and admired it. The jeans he was wearing were definitely too baggy, but she could see the makings of a bloody good arse there. She wondered what his chest looked like. Had she really lost her chance with Harry because of the bloody ministry?

Ginny continued to stare at Harry's arse and, eventually, Harry turned around and she snapped her head up, smiling sheepishly. Harry blushed slightly. "I finished that roll of clingfilm, but I think there was some more in the pantry?" Harry said, "Want to come with?" Ginny nodded quickly and they left Ron and Hermione to their current argument.

"Hi," Ginny said, upon entering the room. Harry pushed his glasses up his nose, knowing that just half an hour ago they'd been having a bloody good snog in here. "One more?" Ginny suggested. Harry nodded and backed her into the wall. Contrary to their slow, gentle kiss earlier, this one was hard, fast and sexy. Harry had a leg on either side of her legs and her hands were buried in his hair.

Ginny's lips were definitely swollen when Harry pulled away, breathing heavily and leaning his head against her forehead. They wrapped up the bread in the clingfilm and took it upstairs to put in the boiler room, where Ginny stole another kiss. "What do you want to do?" she asked, "We have forty-five minutes."

It was quite a strange feeling, Harry thought, as he and Ginny walked out of the Burrow towards the Weasleys' Quidditch pitch, spending time with Ginny without Ron or Hermione. It shouldn't have been, Harry considered, if only he hadn't been so self-absorbed after the Chamber incident. That must have been hell for her, yet he just ignored her, because of her crush. He liked spending Ginny, he thought; she was funny, kind and pretty. More than pretty, Harry thought, as Ginny shot off on her broom.


	2. Chapter 2

Harry groaned as he woke up. The previous day he'd found out about the Ministry's scheme, made bread, played Quidditch and snogged quite a bit, although they hadn't discussed what would happen when the letters came, telling them that they would be married or engaged or whatever to someone else. He was petrified of finding out who he would be spending the rest of his life with. For all he knew, Fudge would set him up with Pansy Parkinson or Millicent Bulstrode or someone of the like.

He was also rather scared about becoming a dad. He'd never had a role model. Uncle Vernon had spoilt Dudley and starved and beaten Harry. Mr Weasley, however, was a good model, only Harry didn't know what he did with babies or toddlers. He really wanted to be a good dad, but how could he, when he only had violence to compare to?

Harry sat up, rubbing his eyes, and pulled on a top and jeans. He walked downstairs and found Ginny, Hermione and Mrs Weasley sat at the table, eating breakfast. He sat down next to Ginny and took some bacon and sausage from the middle of the table.

Ten minutes later, Ron joined them, and, half an hour after that, Hermione spotted the owl flying towards the window, holding what looked like a basket. Mrs Weasley opened the window to let the owl in. It was a well-groomed owl, nothing like Errol or Pig. It was clearly from the ministry. The basket landed on the sideboards. Mrs Weasley picked it up and placed it onto the table.

There were four letters, three books and three envelopes. Harry furrowed his brow and he saw Ginny, Ron and Hermione do the same, in their confusion. Why would there be four letters but three of everything else? "Two of us must be married," Hermione whispered. Suddenly, Harry's mind overflowed on the thought of being married to Hermione. Sleeping with Hermione. He nearly gagged at the thought. It was like Ron sleeping with Ginny.

Maybe he was married to Ginny. Or Ron was married to Hermione.

Harry took the scroll, tied with a pure white ribbon. Ginny's was the same colour. Hermione's was orange and Ron's was red. Did that mean he was with Ginny? Harry's hands shook as he pulled open the ribbon and unrolled the scroll. He began to read.

_Mr Potter,_

_On 1st August 1996, you will catch a plane to Rome at 14:20. Please be at Heathrow Airport, London, at 11:20. In Rome, you will stay in a hotel with your partner and attend daily conferences about Minborn and your future. On 16th August, you will meet your children, who will stay in a new hotel room with you. On the 31st August, you will fly from Rome to Florence and be given a car, which you will have to choose by 16th July, three days from now._

He really didn't care about any of this crap. Who was he going to marry? That was all he _wanted_ to know! He tried to just read on down, but there was a spell on it, making him reading every word.

_From Florence, you will drive to Follonica, where you will spend the night. Then, you will take a boat, with your car and children, to Pianosa, an Italian island which has become Minborn. Your house is on Spiaggia Vista Collina. You have received a map in the basket delivered to you and this will help you get there._

_In Minborn, you will attend five compulsory classes – Italian, English, Mathematics, Catering and Money Management. You may also choose more classes from a list offered to you upon reaching Rome. Now, you will be attending muggle driving lessons, every day, until you pass a test. Your chosen driving school is: RED. It is £10/hour, so be prepared (this is about 2 galleons. See Gringotts for the latest exchange rates.)._

_When you reach Minborn, magic is limited to one hour per day. Your timeslot is 22:00-23:00pm. Do not waste this time._

_Mr Potter, as you read this letter, your marital bonds with Miss Ginevra Weasley are being formed and concluded._

Harry nearly dropped the scroll. He'd been telling Ginny not to get her hopes up, but there was no need! They were going to be married. Harry let out a sigh of relief. Harry turned to Ginny and found her staring at him. He couldn't read her face. She didn't look happy and she didn't look sad; she looked contemplative. She moved her eyes downwards and Harry did the same. They would talk later, of course. She was going to be his wife. His _wife_.

_Treat Mrs Potter with all the love and care you would want your mother or sister to be treated with and do not hurt her in any way._

_You and Mrs Potter have five children – a boy, aged six; a girl, aged five; another girl, aged four; and twins, a boy and a girl, aged three._

Three girls and two boys with Ginny. Ginger girls and black-haired boys. Brown eyes, like Ginny. Ginger hair and green eyes, perhaps, like Harry's mother.

_They are your children, like they would be if Mrs Potter had given birth to them. Treat them as such._

_You will have a 'to-do list' in the back of the rulebook given to you, which will have your current goal/s written in. Failing to adhere to these goals incites a large fine._

_Please fill in the forms in the envelope and send them to the ministry by 16th July._

_Good luck._

_Madam Debra Bridge_

Harry's eyes stayed comically wide as he reached into the basket, pulled out a rulebook and map for him and Ginny to share and the envelope labelled 'Harry and Ginny Potter'. Nobody had spoken yet and Harry didn't want to break the silence. He did, however, want to see how Ginny, his wife, was taking it. He looked at her and found that she was reading over the letter, over and over.

Out of the envelope, fell a thick packet of forms with more information than Harry ever wanted to see, never mind read. Hermione would be in her element.

Harry hadn't noticed that Mrs Weasley had left the room, until she came back in, looking inexplicably cheery. "Well?" she commented, eyebrows raised.

No one spoke. Ron stared at the table. Hermione was palming through the rule book. Mrs Weasley huffed and sat down at the table. "Hermione, dear," she said, "What will it be like for you?" she asked, kindly. Hermione looked up. To Harry's shock, she had tears burning her eyes.

"I have four children with one man. I have another child with a man called Rick," she said, swiping at her eyes and leaving the room. Harry felt quite guilty. He would be marrying someone he knew, someone he'd kissed and liked and Hermione would be with a man who she didn't know, never mind liked.

"Ron?" Mrs Weasley prompted.

"I'm engaged to Romilda Vane," he said, staring after Hermione. He brushed his hand through his hair. "We have two children." Then, he followed Hermione out of the kitchen.

"And you, Harry, dear?" Mrs Weasley queried.

"I'm married to Ginny," he said quietly. Mrs Weasley stared at him.

"My Ginny?" she questioned, mouth agape.

"With five children," Ginny said, nodding.

Mrs Weasley leaned back on her chair, exhaling slowly in her shock. "This is incredible," she stated.

**LiveLaughLove**

Harry and Ginny sat down by the tree Ginny had occupied the day before, holding the forms. "We need to fill out these forms, Gin," Harry said, opening up the forms and taking out the muggle pen he'd brought outside with him.

The form firstly named Harry and Ginny, their addresses, their relationship, birthdays and children. Then it detailed the amounts of money they would have and what to spend it on:

_At 12:00pm on 14th July, money will be sent to Mr Potter's account to spend on the following things:_

_House decoration (two nurseries, three girls' rooms, three boys' rooms, two guest rooms, master bedroom; two changing rooms; nine en-suites, two bathrooms; four reception rooms; three playrooms; gym; potions lab; greenhouse): £500,000 (100,000 galleons)_

_Cars (three – one each for work and a family (seven-seater) car) - £300,000 (60,000 galleons)_

_Ginny's clothes (work clothes, casual clothes, party clothes, exercise clothes, pyjamas, lingerie, underwear, outdoor wear and swimwear) - £100,000 (20,000 galleons)_

_Harry's clothes (work clothes, casual clothes, party clothes, underwear, exercise clothes, pyjamas, outdoor wear and swimwear) - £100,000 (20,000 galleons)_

_6-year-old boy's clothes (everyday, formal, pyjamas, underwear, outdoor, swimwear, athletics) - £10,000 (2,000 galleons)_

_5-year-old girl's clothes (everyday, formal, pyjamas, underwear outdoor, swimwear, athletics) - £10,000 (2,000 galleons)_

_4-year-old girl's clothes (everyday, formal, pyjamas, underwear, outdoor, swimwear, athletics) - £10,000 (2,000 galleons)_

_3-year-old boy's clothes (everyday, formal, pyjamas, underwear, outdoor, swimwear, athletics) - £10,000 (2,000 galleons)_

_3-year-old girl's clothes (everyday, formal, pyjamas, underwear, outdoor, swimwear, athletics) - £10,000 (2,000 galleons)_

_Restaurant decoration - £100,000_

_Law Firm decoration - £100,000_

_Receipts entailing what you have bought must be sent to the ministry by 31st July 1996._

"What's lingerie, Gin? I thought it was just woman's underwear," Harry asked, furrowing his brow. Ginny giggled lightly at his innocence.

"It's sexy underwear? Like lacy underwear – bras, thongs, corsets, stuff like that," Ginny explained, blushing.

"And you, my wife, are going to, erm, be getting some of, umm, this, ah, lingerie?" Harry asked, attempting to be casual.

Ginny laughed, leaning into Harry's chest, "Yes, I am, Harry, and you, my husband, will be the only person who will get the _pleasure_ of viewing me in them." Harry felt his pants tighten. "What's this about 'restaurant decoration'?"

"Maybe we should read on," Harry suggested. Ginny nodded, blushing as she noticed the bulge in Harry's pants.

"Responsibilities," Ginny began.

_Responsibilities_

_Restaurant Ownership – You are the owners of a restaurant of which you will name on the next page of the forms. You will have twelve people working for you, possibly including yourselves. The restaurant's profits will all go to you._

_Law Firm Ownership – You are the owners of a law firm, which you will name on the next page of the forms. You have thirty people working for you, possibly including yourselves. All the law firm's profits go to you or back into the business._

_Football Club Management – Mr Potter will manage the Applebury Lightning under 6's club on Thursday nights, from 5-6pm, every week._

_Head of Applebury – You are the heads of Applebury. This entails: attending monthly meetings with the other fourteen heads; making sure rent is paid on time; helping the homeless; arresting citizens when illegal actions take place; and looking after the welfare of Applebury._

"What do you think, Gin? Do you want to be a chef or a lawyer?" Harry asked his wife. Ginny contemplated it for a few seconds, before shaking her head.

"I can't cook and I don't want to be a lawyer," she explained to Harry, brushing a piece of hair behind her ear. Harry nodded.

"I want to be a lawyer," he stated. Ginny nodded, grinning.

"You'd be a good lawyer, Harry; you're very stubborn," she laughed. "And you'll look cute in all those suits." Harry scowled at 'cute', blushing, and Ginny giggled. "I like making you blush, Potter," she said.

"Well, you'll have plenty of chances, Potter," he shot back. Ginny smiled suddenly.

"I _am_ a Potter, aren't I?"

**LiveLaughLove**

Ginny had chosen to be a Medical Analyst. They would receive quick-skill memory vials in the next two working days, of which they would drink one a day, in order to be quickly qualified for their jobs. They'd named the restaurant 'Bonne Appétit' and the law firm, where Harry would work, 'Potter Law'. Now, they were moving on to baby names.

Ginny wanted, and Harry definitely agreed, James, Lily and Sirius. So, James Arthur, Lily Ginevra and Sirius Remus were named. Now, the female twin and the four-year-old girl had to be named. "You liked Merida, didn't you?" Ginny asked.

Harry nodded slowly, "But I want you to give birth to a Merida. I want a baby Merida, not a four- or three-year-old Merida."

Ginny looked to him in shock. She hadn't realised that he wanted her to give birth to children. "You want to actually have children with me?" she asked, mouth slightly agape. Harry furrowed his brow and nodded.

"Ginny, you're my wife. Of course I want to have children with you," he said, "Now, didn't you like Anna and Emera?"

"Anna and Elmira," Ginny corrected.

"Then, that's what we'll have. Anna Molly and Elmira. What do you think for her middle name?" Harry asked.

Ginny lay her head on Harry's shoulder as she thought. Her grandmothers, Lucretia and Cedrella, had names that she wouldn't like to inflict on her daughter. "We'll look in Mum's baby name book when we get back," Ginny suggested. Harry nodded and turned the page.

_Driving Lessons_

_These must be paid for yourselves. Below is a list of times, days and places where your lessons will be. Your lessons will take place at the same time:_

_All lessons will take place at 72 Station Road, Ottery St Mary. Each lesson will take two hours._

_15th July – 2:00_

It went on until the 31st. "The first one's tomorrow," Harry stated, looking at Ginny. Ginny nodded. "We'll walk down to Ottery St Mary together?" Harry suggested. Ginny agreed and turned the page.

Next up was exactly what to spend money on with suggested places to do so: Ikea, Next, Debenhams, Selfridges, Wickes, the Bathroom Store, JD, Hillcross Restaurant Furniture, etc, etc. That went on for five pages. Then, they were told where to buy cars from.

"Harry, Ginny!" Mrs Weasley called as they read about them being able to meet their children on 16th, 20th, 24th and 28th July at the Ministry. "Lunchtime!"

As they walked into the kitchen, Ginny took the baby names book from the bookshelf and opened it, while she and Harry ate sandwiches. The others – Mrs Weasley, Hermione, Ron, Fred and George – looked shocked, sharing looks. "What are we looking for, kiddos?" Fred asked.

Harry winced at 'kiddo', remembering Sirius using the word, and Ginny answered Fred.

"A middle name for our daughter," Ginny stated, continuing to look. She went onto the C names, after flicking through 'A' and 'B' and not liking them.

"You have a first one then?" Molly asked.

"Yes, Elmira," Harry answered for his wife, looking over at the names she was looking at, pursing her hips.

"I don't want Elmira," Ginny suddenly burst. Harry turned and raised his eyebrows. "I like Emily," she said, pointing to the name in the book, "But I'd prefer Emma? What do you think?" she asked, looking hopefully.

Harry grinned and agreed. Emma Potter. "And we're back to needing a middle name," Harry stated.

"What about Muriel, Ginny?" Mrs Weasley suggested.

"No, Emma Muriel Potter doesn't sound very good, Mum, sorry," Ginny apologised with a smile. When Mrs Weasley turned, Ginny giggled into Harry's shoulder.

"Emma Catrina Potter," Ginny tried. "Emma Cavrietta Potter, no,"

"What about Emma Lily Potter?" Hermione suggested. Ginny's head snapped up at Hermione.

"Emma Lily Potter, I like it," Ginny agreed. "James Arthur, Lily Ginevra, Anna Molly, Sirius Remus and Emma Lily, my children."

"Our children," Harry corrected. Ginny leaned in and kissed him, then blushed as she broke away. Harry ran a hand through his hair, successfully messing it up further.

"Right, well," Ginny said, polishing off her sandwich. "Harry and I are off to London, shopping," she stated, standing up.

"What?" Mrs Weasley questioned, wide eyed. "You most certainly are not! It's too dangerous!"

"We're going to Harrods, Mum," Ginny told her, smiling. "I have lots and lots of money to spend," she said, a glint in her eye. Harry smiled at her.

Mrs Weasley's resolve didn't waver. "And how are you going to get there? And who'll protect you if You-Know-Who shows up?"

"We're going to floo to the Leaky Cauldron," Harry started, "And go to Gringotts, to get the money, and then walk to Harrods, under my invisibility cloak."

"You have an _invisibility cloak_?" Mrs Weasley screeched like an owl.


	3. Chapter 3

In the end, Harry reflected as he tried on some very expensive Calvin Klein jeans, it would have been easier to say they were going upstairs and then sneak back to the floo, under the invisibility cloak. It had taken at least an hour to convince Mrs Weasley and, so far, they hadn't even seen anyone remotely magical, except Remus and Tonks, who Mrs Weasley had forced along. Remus and Tonks were spending the money that Sirius had left them.

As soon as they walked in to Harrods, Harry and Ginny had been split up and sent in different directions. Harry had to say, he was wondering if Ginny was buying any of that _lingerie_ stuff.

He'd tried on far too many jeans and the salesgirl had said yes to a lot of them, wanting him to buy as much as possible, so that she could have the tips. Then, they moved onto suits.

At six o clock, Harry finally escaped with Ginny, who had thoroughly enjoyed her day, and she told him that they were going back the next day. Harry groaned, but, then, remembered what he wanted to know. "Erm, Gin?" he questioned, watching her smile comically, as they ate their dinner in McDonalds.

"Yes, Harry?" she replied, brushing back her hair.

"Did you happen to buy any of that, erm, lingerie?" Harry asked, looking down at his dinner in an attempt to be casual. Ginny laughed and Harry revelled in it. She was so beautiful and had a laugh that was like listening to stars twinkling. Harry shook himself. He was acting too girly, too poetic. He was a man.

Ginny leaned across the table, whispering in his ear. "And if I did?"

Harry glared at her as his pants became tight again. He was rather glad his legs were under the table, hiding any evidence of a bulge.

"What did you buy then?" Ginny asked as they paid the bill.

"Suits, jeans, a couple of shirts, boxers, work shoes," Harry explained. Ginny flushed at the word 'boxers'. "What about you?"

"Hmm, skirt- and pant-suits, blouses, a few bikinis," Harry shifted in his seat whilst the waitress took away the money. Ginny knew what he was doing. "Lots of lingerie," she teased, watching Harry flush red. She giggled. "And some dresses."

Then, they left, collecting the receipt. Harry took Ginny's hand, not looking at her. She smiled slightly. As they reached the Leaky Cauldron, Harry kissed Ginny, softly, and she smiled at him, as he stroked her cheek.

"You are so beautiful," he said, kissing her again, before they entered the pub, hand in hand.

**LiveLaughLove**

Ron and Hermione watched as Ginny tumbled out of the floo, after Harry, laughing at something or other. Harry kissed Ginny, pulling her from the ground. Ron and Hermione's eyes widened comically. They'd seen Harry and Ginny kiss once, but this was like boyfriend-girlfriend level of kissing. Like a snog, really. Ginny drew back and stroked Harry's cheek.

"You need a shave, Mister Potter," she said, wagging her finger at him. "But I bet you didn't get anything to do so today though, did you?" she questioned, eyebrows raised.

"I'll get some tomorrow," he said, kissing her softly.

"Okay," she sighed, melting into the kiss.

"Ew," Ron commented. This broke Harry and Ginny from their reverie, blushing.

"Hi," they said, together.

"Oh, you're back!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed, walking in with a pile of washing. "Did you have a good time? I need you all to sort this washing into piles – whites, blacks, colours and charmed. Then put them into the right washing machines. Okay?" Then, she strode out.

"We'll split the washing into four," Hermione explained and then proceeded to do so. Harry had his arms around Ginny's waist, kissing her softly as Hermione worked. Ron was looking away, determinedly. Ron rolled his eyes as his best friend and sister continued to snog.

The floo flared green. "Hiya, Ron, Hermione, ah!" the twins exclaimed simultaneously. "Ronald, why is Harry sucking our sister's face off?"

And that broke Harry and Ginny apart, grinning goofily. "Hi, Fred, George," Ginny said, leaning on Harry's shoulders. "Harry and I are getting married!" she said, sighing in content. "We have five children."

Fred and George realised what had gone on, at the same time. The town thing Ron and Hermione were talking about, before Fred and George had returned to the shop.

"Well," Fred said, grinning and engulfing Harry in a hug. "I suppose that means you're officially our brother, doesn't it?" he said, giving Harry over to George who hugged him, patting him on the back.

"We will have to formally induct you as a Weasley," George explained, grinning at his twin. Harry looked wary.

Ginny put her hands on her hips and glared at her brothers. "There will be no pranking Harry or I will bat-bogey you so hard you will have bats coming out of your-"

"Ginny!" the twins exclaimed, horrified. Ginny grinned snarkily at Harry.

"I was going to say toenails, but, hey-ho! Now, help me sort the washing, Harry."

Fred and George looked on, in amazement, as Harry and Ginny worked in sync, like a proper little couple.

**LiveLaughLove**

It was the next day, after a good night's sleep, that Harry and Ginny set out for the driving school, hand in hand, holding a rucksack of sandwiches, biscuits and drinks. It was an hour long walk and gave Harry and Ginny plenty of time to talk.

Their conversation started at the children, who they would meet for the first time the next day, at nine o clock, for three hours. Then the talk turned to the house, their jobs and, finally, their relationship.

"Harry, we've been," Ginny weighed up her words. "Well, snogging really, for two days now and I know that, officially, you're my husband, but are we together?"

Harry spent a few seconds, deciding what he should say. Truth be told, he had no idea what to say to Ginny. He didn't really know what he felt for her. He did know that he like kissing her; he liked the way her hand fit in his. He liked it when she smiled and when she bit her lip. Listening to her was like listening to chocolate melting. She was so pretty and, when he was around her, sometimes, he wouldn't know what to say because he was caught up in her beauty and turned to mush in front of her. He liked that she could make him blush and that he could make her blush right back. Sometimes, he just looked at her or listened to her or smelled her flowery perfume or whatever and thought that she was perfection.

_Tell her, _the voice he had deemed 'Sirius' told him.

And so he did. He talked and talked and talked and he was sure she must be getting bored, but, when he looked at her, she looked at him with wide eyes and pink cheeks. Harry blushed when she reached up and kissed him on the cheek. It felt like butterfly wings, Harry reflected.

He didn't know what was going on with Ginny, but he knew that he wanted to know. He didn't like being touched, at all, but, with Ginny, he craved it, and that puzzled him to no end.

When Harry and Ginny reached the driving school, they were early, so the receptionist told them to go look at some of the cars. Harry spent some of the time explaining to Ginny what each of the things inside of the car did, to the best of his ability. He had been in a car, but he'd never had it explained to him.

Ginny was very like her father in that she liked learning about muggles and she was very interested in the cars. "And we're getting one of these, Harry?" she asked.

"Three, according to those forms," he said.

It was half an hour later that a tall muscly man came to collect them. "Hello," he said to Ginny, smiling at her. Harry tightened his grip on her hand.

And so it began. Harry was openly glaring at the twerp that was flirting with his wife. And Ginny, (Ginny his _wife_!), was giggling back at the man's lame jokes.

After a lesson where Harry really didn't learn a thing, at all, they left the driving school, hand in hand, and Ginny suggested they walked through town. "Let's just go to the Burrow," Harry said tensely.

"Harry?" Ginny said, furrowing her brows, "Has something happened?"

"You!" Harry burst as they started down the long winding path to Ottery St Catchpole.

"Excuse me?"

"You've been flirting with that driving instructor for the past two hours and now-"

"What?!" Ginny exclaimed, bemused. "I've been _flirting_? Pray tell how, _Potter_?" she spat.

"You were giggling at all his lame jokes, _Potter_!" Harry shot back.

"I was being polite!"

"You were _giggling_!"

"I was trying not to be rude – unlike you! You were glaring at him the whole time! I bet you didn't learn a thing," Ginny shouted.

"He was staring at you, like you were a piece of meat! You are _my_ wife!"

"And I wasn't flirting! I'm with you, Harry!" Ginny informed him.

"Then, why were you giggling?" Harry asked, hurt. "You didn't have to giggle."

"You are my husband and the only person I ever want to be with," she whispered. "I'm sorry if you thought I was flirting, but, honestly, Harry, I wasn't. I don't want you to think that I'm flirting with anyone except you," she finished, taking her hand away from his face.

"Gin," Harry started. "I'm sorry," he said. Ginny flew into his arms, burying her face into his neck and kissing it like butterflies. "I'm so sorry," he begged.

"I'm sorry," she cried back.

"If I'm ever such a git again, Gin, hit me," he said, pointing to his cheek. Ginny tapped his cheek, laughing. Harry suddenly realised that he didn't want Ginny to giggle with him. He wanted her to laugh, like what he was saying was actually funny. Harry smiled and dropped a kiss on her head.

**LiveLaughLove**

After another day shopping, Harry and Ginny made their way into Wickes Kitchen Showroom with a booklet of all the kitchens. "I like this one, Harry!" Ginny exclaimed, leaning against a beige set of cupboards. Harry came up behind her and placed gentle kisses on her neck. "Harry," Ginny scolded, laughing.

He bit down slightly on her neck and Ginny arched her back. "Harry," she hissed. "We have to choose a kitchen," she told him.

"I like the one with my beautiful wife leaning on it," he said, smiling down at her.

Ginny grinned, "Do you really?" Harry looked up at the kitchen and scrumpled his nose.

"Let's keep looking?" Harry suggested. Ginny laughed and took his hand.

They looked around all the kitchens, laughing at a yellow one and vetoing each other's choices. Eventually, they came to a beech wood kitchen that Harry liked. Ginny agreed. "It's not like I'll be cooking," Ginny laughed, kissing her husband lightly.

They ordered the kitchen with the measurements the Ministry had given to them and the address. The items would be delivered to an Italian company, who would then fit the kitchen.

Then, they walked home to Ottery St Catchpole, laughing and snuggling all the way. It was six by the time they got back and dinner had been served. "Mmm, smells lovely," Ginny commented, as she and Harry took seats at the end of the table. Ginny scooped up some of the beef stew and took a few pieces of the bread they had made, dipping it into the gravy and groaning at the taste. "It's so nice, Harry," she said, feeding him some.

"Please stop," Ron said, looking fairly sick at the pair of them. Harry and Ginny laughed, leaning against each other. Hermione hit Ron in the arm.

After dinner, Harry and Ginny sat on one of the sofas in the Burrow's living room together, talking about the next day, when they would meet their children for the first time.

**LiveLaughLove**

Ginny was up and excited at seven the next morning. She had a quick shower and tied up her hair, before running to Harry's room, which used to be the twins' room. "Harry! Wakey-wakey! We're meeting our babies today!" she cried and then dashed out of the room to retrieve one of the loaves of bread they'd made and some freshly squashed orange juice. Harry and Ginny had to be at the Ministry at 8. "Harry!" Ginny shouted up the stairs.

"Coming!" he shouted, blearily.

Ten minutes later, he emerged, hair wet, to help rescue her attempt at breakfast. They ate together and, before anyone else had come down, floo'd to the ministry.

With a whoosh, Harry arrived, quickly followed by Ginny. He took her hand, kissing it, and led them over to a desk, reading 'Ministry Town Law – Meeting Children'. Hermione would be there later that day, but to meet her partner.

A woman called Joyce was manning the desk and she was very excited to log Harry and Ginny Potter in. "Your children are on Level 5 in the Unicorn room," she told them. Harry and Ginny shared a glance, with a smile, thanking Joyce.

The lift journey was long, but they reached level 5 and there were signs leading to the rooms. A corridor of doors were each decorated with a different magical creature – from snakes to hippogriffs. Harry and Ginny saw the unicorn door and Harry walked, but Ginny stopped.

"I don't know if I can, Harry," she stated, staring down at the floor. "I'm not maternal."

Harry's brow furrowed. She'd been excited for this for days. "Ginny, they're our babies. We'll learn together. I've no idea," he told her. "At least you've had a role model. Honestly, Gin, you'll be teaching me!"

"Okay, let's go," Ginny said, striding forward and pushing open the door. She gasped, staying at the doorframe. Harry put one hand on her hip.

In the room, there was a play mat with a racing track drawn on it. The younger boy, Sirius, was playing with toy cars, zooming them around in circles. There were seven chairs in the middle in a circle and five beds to one side of the room. A small table with plastic chairs sat to the other side. On one of the armchairs, a small ginger girl, either Anna or Lily, sat reading a large book and the other boy, James, was building a castle out of Duplo. Emma was lay in one of the beds, sucking her thumb, ginger hair splayed out around her head. The other girl, Anna or Lily, was talking to an older woman, who seemed to be looking after them all.

The older woman looked up and smiled at the pair of them. "Hello, I'm Delilah. I look after the children until you go to Rome," she introduced herself. "This is Anna," she said, gesturing to the girl in front of her, with brown hair. Anna smiled shyly at them. "Lily is reading a book, James is building, Emma is sleeping and Sirius is playing with the cars. There's lots of information for you to look at in those files," she said, pointing to a bookshelf. "Emma is due to wake up now," she finished, leaving.

Harry and Ginny shared scared smiles. "Do you want to wake Emma up?"

Sirius was looking up from his cars at the pair of them. "Hi," he said, smiling slightly. "I'm Sirius."

He had a lisp, Harry and Ginny realised. He said his name as Thiwiuth.

"Miss Dilia," he started, failing to say their careworker's name, "calls me Siri, 'cos it's easier to say," he explained.

Ginny and Harry nodded, taking in the information. And then the others began to introduce themselves. Eventually, Emma woke up and told them that she was Emma or Emma. Soon, Ginny was playing dolls with Emma, Lily and Anna, whilst Harry built a fortress with his sons.

"Oh no!" Harry cried out as a toy Superman crashed into the fortress, by James' hand, destroying their hard work. James was giggling crazily. Sirius, however, stood up, scrunched his face together and stomped a foot, blowing a raspberry at James and stalking away to the couches.

"Come on, Jamie," Harry said to his son, "Go apologise to your brother."

"No," James said, crossing his arms. "I didn't do anything wrong, Dad!"

"You did, James, and Sirius is upset, so _please_ say you're sorry," Harry said, staying patient with his son.

"No," James said, walking away, kicking the girls' dolls as he did.

"James!" Harry scolded, following his son, who was sat on his bed. Emma had started to cry. Harry turned to Ginny with scared eyes. He looked confused. Ginny stood up and walked over to her son.

"James, please apologise to your brother and sisters," Ginny said.

"No," James refused. Harry put a hand on Ginny's hip.

"James, if you don't apologise _now_," Ginny stressed, raising her eyebrows, "you will be standing in the corner for _six_ minutes," Ginny threatened. James seemed to consider it.

"Sorry," he muttered quietly.

"Good boy," Ginny said, ruffling James' hair, so similar to Harry's. She looked up and saw Harry staring at her in awe. She blushed and smiled sheepishly. Harry kissed her softly.

"Ewww," James complained.

**LiveLaughLove**

Lylljt

x


	4. Chapter 4

Ginny giggled, leaning back onto Harry's chest, as they sat on the floor in the living room of the Burrow one night. Fred and George were explaining their newest Wheeze, Chomping Chocolate – Chocolate that bit your lips as you tried to eat it.

Mrs Weasley shook her head at the pair and looked at Harry and Ginny leaning against the wall in each other's arms. "How was your day, dears?" she asked. Harry looked down at Ginny who was staring up at him and he gestured to her to explain their day.

"Oh," Ginny started and she proceeded to tell her family all about their children and their driving lesson and the bed they'd chosen, a queen-sized bed with a memory foam mattress and a white wooden bedframe.

"Ooh, a bed," George said, waggling his eyebrows.

"_Whatever_ will you get up to on there," Fred said, joining his brother in his eyebrow fanatics. Harry and Ginny flushed simultaneously.

"Oh, stop it boys. I'm sure Harry and Ginny will be perfectly responsible," Molly chastised.

"Well, Ginny has to be pregnant by September 1st, Mum," Fred said, smiling mischievously.

"So, if you take that into account, kiddies, you should probably get started," George finished, smiling just like his brother.

"Boys!" Molly said.

Fred and George laughed.

"Bill, Charlie and Fleur will be home on the eighteenth," Molly told them all, changing the subject. "Make sure you're nice to Fleur."

The twins shared an evil look.

**LiveLaughLove**

"I like these ones, Harry," Ginny suggested, looking at the set of silver cutlery.

"Great, let's go," he hurried. Ginny looked at him witheringly.

"Harry," she said, "these are the knives and forks-"

"And spoons," he reminded.

"And spoons," she added, glaring, "That we will be using for the next five years; please help me choose."

"Fine," he said, dragging the word out, "but aren't we getting a toaster after this?"

"And a kettle, an oven, a cold box," Ginny listed.

Harry rolled his eyes and muttered 'fridge' under his breath.

"A coffee maker, a microwave and a blender."

Harry groaned.

Finally, after three hours, Harry and Ginny left the store, leaving the product numbers with the store workers for them to send to the warehouse where the ministry would store them until they took them to Minborn.

They arrived home and found Mrs Weasley, Ron, Hermione and a fair-haired, big-bellied man in the kitchen. Harry and Ginny met eyes and furrowed their brows. "Oh, good, you're home!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed. "Did you have a good day?" she didn't let them answer. "This is Ted, Tonks' father; he's going to teach you muggle cooking," she explained.

"Oh, Mrs Weasley, I know how to cook," Harry said, smiling at her.

"Shush, dear," she chastised, ruffling his hair. "Right, I'm going to go and get Bill's Hogwarts trunk down from the loft for you, Ronnie," she said, ignoring Ron's blush at the nickname. "Yours is much too small to take all your things. Make sure you listen to Ted," Molly said as she left the room.

"Right, spaghetti bolognaise,"

**LiveLaughLove**

An hour later, Harry and Hermione had decent meals made. Ron's was undercooked in his hurry to eat it and Ginny's was burnt. When Ted told her she'd overcooked it, Ginny slumped and Harry saw tears in his wife's eyes. "I'm going to be a terrible mother," she cried.

"No, sweetie," Harry said, taking her into his arms. Ron mouthed 'sweetie' mockingly to Hermione, who laughed slightly. "You're going to be a great mum. James, Lily, Anna, Sirius and Emma love you."

"They love you more. You're not going to burn their food," she sobbed. Harry looked to Ron in askance of what to do. Ron shrugged.

"Ginny," he said, kissing her head, "we've already agreed that you'll go nowhere near the kitchen," he said. She let out a watery chuckle.

"I'm sorry," she said, wiping her eyes and wiping at the wet spot on his top. "I don't know why I'm crying." Ted smiled kindly at her.

"We're making an apple pie now, Ginny," he said softly. "Why don't you work with Harry?" Harry and Ginny immediately agreed.

They first had to sieve the flour into a bowl which Ginny did, relatively tidily. Then they rubbed it into breadcrumbs with the margarine, or Ginny did, because Harry was too busy placing feather-like kisses on Ginny's neck. "Harry," she hissed, blushing at Hermione when she shook her head.

"What?" he asked, nibbling down.

"Help me," she told him. "Stop biting my neck."

Harry sighed, kissing the bruise he had formed, and moved to her side.

"See, it's fun," Ginny exclaimed, bringing her fingers up high and crumbling the breadcrumbs with her pads.

"Sure," Harry agreed, kissing her cheek at her exuberance.

The apple pie turned out much better than Ginny's spaghetti bolognaise and they enjoyed it later, taking a few spare minutes to sit outside in the sun with Ron and Hermione.

"I feel like I've not spoken to you," Ginny said to Hermione with an apologetic smile, watching Harry and Ron goof around. "How did your meeting with, erm, Louis and Eric go?"

Hermione sighed, leaning back against the picnic mat. "Louis and I named the children and he offered to give £100 a month to me, if he doesn't have to go near them. We've named them Mia, Jack, Francesca and Levi. Trust me, I had no choice on that last one," Hermione told her. "Rick, however, I actually have to live with, not for long, but for the first month when we're not allowed to make any custodial or relationship changes. Then I'm leaving him. I decorated the house how I wanted, since he said he was going to live with his girlfriend after that month in Minborn, which, I suppose, considering we spend a month in Rome in the same hotel room, is really two months. We named the baby Rio," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. "It'll be fine," she said, sounding as though she was telling herself rather than Ginny. "Oh, but, Ginny, I have to be pregnant within a month! I have to actually-" Hermione looked green and more upset than ever. "Oh, Ginny, he's got all sorts of tattoos and piercings – he's disgusting!"

Hermione sobbed on Ginny's shoulder, her tears soaking through Ginny's t-shirt and attracting Harry and Ron's attention. Ginny shook her head when they began to approach. "When do you get to meet them?" Ginny asked, trying to change the subject. "The children, I mean?"

"Tomorrow. I'm nervous," Hermione admitted, her voice shaking after the sobs.

"Don't be. Harry and I were and then it was fine," Ginny told her friend. "I love them. I know I only spent two hours with them, but, oh, they're my children! It's crazy! I have children, Hermione, and so do you."

**LiveLaughLove**

_Dear Mr and Mrs Potter,_

_Thank you for submitting your forms. The information you have given us will be processed._

_Inside the two pink envelopes sent to you today are plane tickets. One envelope reads 'London Heathrow to Rome'. Take this to Heathrow Airport for your first flight. Your second pink envelope reads 'Rome to Florence' and this is necessary for your flight to Florence. Make sure you take these envelopes in your hand-luggage to Heathrow._

_In the blue envelope are passports for you both and your children. Do not leave these behind when you fly._

_In the two air tight boxes are one-hundred memory vials, each labelled with a date. Drink the memory on the date prescribed to give you the compulsory skills for your jobs. When you have finished taking the memories, you may start work._

_We wish you luck._

_Laura Duxbury_

_Head of Minborn Flight Control_

Harry and Ginny laughed slightly at the pictures in the passports and showed the pictures of their children to their family.

"Hello!" called through the house.

It was Bill.

Bill, Charlie and Fleur entered the living room, Fleur rather nervously. "This is Fleur," Bill introduced, "my fiancée."

Mrs Weasley's eyes widened and her mouth gaped. "Fiancée?" she spluttered. Bill smiled down at the beautiful girl in his arms and then looked at his mum.

"We're getting married!" he said and Fleur showed her the ring, a gold band with a big diamond.

Mrs Weasley nodded slowly and smiled slightly, before walking into the kitchen. Mr Weasley watched her go with a furrowed brow. "Congratulations, son," he said, shaking his eldest son's hand and then Fleur's, kissing her on the cheek.

"'Arry," Fleur cried happily, taking him in her arms and kissing both cheeks twice. "It ees wonderful to see you! You are well?" she asked, sitting down on the sofa with him. Ginny narrowed her eyes, but had to stop looking at them when Bill talked to her.

"Hi, shorty," Bill teased, poking her in the side. Ginny glared at him.

"I am not _that_ short!" Ginny protested, returning the poke.

Bill looked down at her and laughed, pulling her into a hug. "How are you, Ginny?" Bill asked.

Ginny looked over to Harry, who was smiling at Fleur nicely, not like Ron, Fred and George were. They were leering. "I'm good," Ginny said, nodding but keeping a watchful eye on Harry, "How about you? How's _Fleur_?"

Bill laughed and ruffled Ginny's hair, but she still didn't look at him. Her brothers were staring at Fleur's rather affluent assets, but Harry was staring at her face. Good boy. "Can you believe it? I'm the first Weasley married!" he said, chuckling.

Ginny shook her head, shrugging with a grin. "Don't blame me; it was the ministry's fault," Ginny said, laughing when Bill's face fell.

"You've been married off to someone? In this Minborn thing? Fleur's brother and sister have to go too, but neither of them are married." Bill ran his hand through his long hair.

"What's this?" Harry asked, putting his arm around Ginny's waist and kissing her.

"See, Bill? I'm perfectly happy," Ginny laughed, squeezing Harry's side.

Bill's eyes widened. Ginny and Harry started to gush about their new life and mostly their children.

"Oh, who got them started?" George groaned as he overheard what his sister and brother-in-law were talking about. He shared a look with his twin, who tutted.

"They have talked of nothing else for days, weeks even," Fred said, rolling his eyes. "Just wait, they'll get out the photos."

Ginny glared. "Well, we're sorry for talking about our _children_," she said, nostrils flaring like a dragon and storming out of the room.

Harry sighed and walked out of the room after her. She was _so_ hormonal sometimes.

**LiveLaughLove**

"So they've been like this since when?" Bill asked Fred, George and Ron as they sat in Ron's bedroom two days later. Charlie sat by the window, and had been watching Harry and Ginny by the lake, kissing and laughing. They were both completely soaked after Harry had been pushed in and then grabbed Ginny's legs from the side and pulled her in with him. They'd gotten out about ten minutes ago.

Fred looked at George. "The day the letters came, the first ones, the ones that didn't say who they were marrying, me and George caught them in the lake, _pretty_ close," Fred said, "but it didn't properly start until after they found out they would be married, I don't think."

"Why did you tell him to come here, Ron?" Charlie asked as he heard footsteps.

"I said I wanted to talk about my children. I'm meeting them tomorrow," Ron told them. Bill nodded at the excuse. Harry then knocked and opened the door. Immediately, Harry became wary. He walked in and stayed standing, closing the door behind him.

"What's this about?" he asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Ginny," Charlie said, joining his brothers in the centre of the room. Harry met Charlie's glare.

"You mean my _wife_?" Harry commented.

"Look, Harry," Bill said, "we understand that, but we just want you to know that Ginny isn't just some girl you can mess around-"

"Oh, because I do that _so_ often?" Harry growled. "I just pick up girls and don't call them the next day? That's not me. Ginny is the second girl I've kissed. I have never slept with anyone and I don't intend on doing so until _Ginny_ says that that is okay. However, Ginny _does_ have to be pregnant by 1st September and I don't know if you were _aware_ of this, but you have to have sex to get pregnant."

The brothers were sufficiently chided. Bill tried to speak, but Harry wasn't finished.

"I haven't been dating your sister for long and I don't know that I am in love with her, _yet_, but I do think the world of her. I think that she can speak for herself and I know that she wouldn't let me get away with hurting her for two minutes, not that I _ever_ intend to do so purposefully. Now, Ginny and I are going to the cinema. Am I excused?" Harry mocked as he left.

"Well, that didn't go as planned," Ron stated.

**LiveLaughLove**

On 25th July, when Harry and Ginny had both received their driving licences and had visited their children multiple times, four suitcases and four smaller bags were delivered to the Burrow. They were placed in the Burrow's living room and opened. Inside each suitcase was a personalised list of belongings to take to Minborn. Already inside were a small portion of the clothes they had purchased that month.

Ginny looked at her list. It was split into sections: personal items; toiletries; amusement; and clothes. The suitcase was split similarly. Clothes took up two thirds of the bag, folded neatly and the remaining three, smaller sections were empty, but labelled with what was to go in that area. In the clothes section, she was allowed to add two dresses that she had had before all of the shopping, two t-shirts, two pairs of trousers or skirts, one pair of shoes and one pair of pyjamas.

Where the 'toiletries' section was, Ginny was allowed to take: under 200ml of perfume, under 100ml of deodorant, 300ml shampoo, 300ml conditioner, 300ml shower gel, 20 tampons or sanitary towels, one flannel, 300ml moisturiser, one razor, 300ml shaving cream, 100ml other liquid and one pack of facial wipes, all in separate clear plastic bags provided. In the 'amusement' section, Ginny was allowed five books, five puzzle books, two games (puzzle or board), three notepads and a pencil case, filled with only muggle items. Finally, the personal items section: fifteen memorable items; three family heirlooms; and one photo album.

Quickly, Ginny filled her case. Things that she didn't have, in the toiletries and amusement section, were written on a separate list. As she put things in, the list wrote exactly what it was and ticked it off. When she tried to put in shampoo from the magical world, the case ejected it, leaving Ginny to have to buy muggle shampoo and conditioner.

Ginny had left the memories or 'personal items' section for last. She went up to her room and pulled out her memories box – an old shoe box. In pink glitter glue, she had written on the top 'Ginny's Memories – Keep Out'. Emptying the box, Ginny laughed at her childishness. In there, as well as more, she had postcards from her Aunt and cousins; a letter from her Granddad and Grandma who lived in Ireland; her Hogwarts letter; a few baby grows and a dummy; a few dolls; a photo album; and, her favourite, her Boy-Who-Lived story book and doll. Harry would laugh at her for hours when he saw these, but Ginny knew they represented a part of her life, before Tom Riddle took away her innocence.

So, in the suitcase went her Boy-Who-Lived book and doll, her doll with ginger hair (who always played Ginny when she pretended to marry her Boy-Who-Lived doll), three baby grows, Spots (her stuffed giraffe) and Smudge (her stuffed bear), her 7th birthday card and the bracelet she had received that day. The remaining five available items would be letters from her family.

Ginny packed her things back into the box and began to take it downstairs. She walked past Harry's room and saw him sat on the bed, looking forlorn. In his hands, she saw the photo album of his parents Hagrid had given to him. "Harry?" she said kindly.

"I have no memories," he told her, staring down at a picture of him, Lily and James at a park with a dog she recognised as Padfoot. "I have this," he gestured to the book, "a part of that stupid mirror that I broke, my Hogwarts letter which I can't take because it's magical, a trophy I won in primary school, the tickets to the cinema last night and the picture of you, me and all of the kids."

"They are memories, Harry! Right, tell me the stories behind them," Ginny said, in an effort to make him realise that he did have memories.

Harry held up a little trophy, like a cup with two handles. It was gold and stood on a black base. "Harry Potter, 8 – Winner of the Surrey Mirror Writing Competition," Harry read from the gold plaque on the base. "Everyone that was seven or older had to submit a story to the Surrey Mirror, which was our local paper. Mine was about a boy whose parents died and he had to go and live with his mum's sister and I called her Amaryllis, after asking my teacher for a really ugly flower name. This boy, Jeremy, stayed with Amaryllis until his ninth birthday, when he looked up into the sky, whilst repotting some of his aunt's roses, and saw a big flying circle. Eventually, this big flying circle landed and it knocked over Amaryllis and the woman who lived next door, who were having a gossip. Out of the circle, which Jeremy had named a spaceship, came two people, a woman and a man. They were both really good-looking and they came to Jeremy and told him they were his parents. Now, I had gone to my teacher again and asked for the prettiest flower name he knew and, so, Jeremy's mum was called Lily and he dad was Jeremy Sr, because I didn't really have another bloke's name. So, I submitted it and it won. I was sent this trophy and £200, which I kept, and my story was published in the Surrey Mirror. When I showed my aunt the trophy, she said to me, 'just like your mother'. Granted she said it with a snarl, but I didn't care. It was the first time she'd ever said anything about Mum and she'd said I was like her, which is why I kept the trophy. I didn't tell her about the money, of course. I still have it," Harry finished.

Ginny was snuggled into his side. "That is a memory, Harry; that's a great memory."

"Okay, I'll take that, my photo album, our ticket and the picture. That's three things plus a photo album," Harry sighed. "I can't take the mirror because it's been charmed and it rejected it. Is there anything you want to put in mine?" Ginny shook her head, but inside she was thinking. Maybe Remus Lupin would have something of Harry's mum's or dad's that he could take? Or of Sirius'?

**LiveLaughLove**

Hermione breathed through her nose as she walked into the room where she met her children every four days. Louis never came and neither did Rick. Hermione opened the door of the room with hippogriffs on the door and smiled as she saw her children with their carer Rosanne.

When she and Louis had named the children, they agreed that Hermione would name the first two and Louis the other two, which meant that Hermione had Mia and Jack, and Francesca, a girl, and Levi, a boy.

Mia, with Hermione's hair and Louis' blue eyes, was five and she loved to read fairy tales. Where they were staying, Mia only had magical fairy tales, so Hermione had brought some muggle fairy tale books with her. Jack was three and he liked playing with blocks, something she knew Harry and Ginny's children also enjoyed. Francesca, or Frankie, at two years old, had short brown hair and Hermione's mother's moss green eyes. She liked to play with her dolls. Hermione had laughed for a long time when she saw the Harry Potter 'Boy-Who-Lived' doll. Levi was one and couldn't talk yet. He still stumbled when he walked and he liked to play with trains. Finally, Rio, the baby with Rick. He was just under two months old and he could smile and laugh. He slept and cried a lot.

Hermione walked to Rosanne and took her son from her, who was crying. "Hey, Rio," she whispered, kissing his cheek, "your mummy's here now," she comforted. "Are you being a pain for Rosanne?"

"He is, Mummy!" Mia cried. Hermione beamed when she heard her daughter calling her 'mummy'. "He cried all night last night and then Levi cried and then Frankie!"

"Okay, Mia," Hermione said, kissing her head. "I've brought you all some presents!" Hermione announced. All five of her children came and sat with her on the couch. Hermione picked up her bag and first pulled out the electronic train for Levi, who squealed and gave Hermione a wet, sloppy kiss. He stumbled away to play with it. For Frankie, Hermione had gotten her a new dress for her doll and, for Jack, some people who could play in the buildings he created with his blocks. She had a Molly Weasley blanket for each of them and a little hat with R on the front, which was Ron's, for Rio.

"Come and look at these fairy tales, Mia!"

**LiveLaughLove**


	5. Chapter 5

Live Laugh Love

Chapter Five: At the Airport

Remus Lupin walked towards the Burrow, with a messenger bag across his shoulder. Ginny had contacted him two days before and he had gone back to the Potter's house and taken the things he knew they would want Harry to have. As well as that, Remus had some things of Lily and James', like their wedding rings and one of Lily's necklaces. He also had James' watch, which he was going to give to Harry on his seventeenth birthday. Finally, Remus had Sirius' shaving kit, which Sirius had been planning to use to teach Harry to shave.

At the house, Remus had found a toy stag. He found a small pillow, with embroidery by Lily, reading 'Harry James – July 31st 1980'. He also took some of the photos there, that he had never been able to force himself to take, and some ornaments of Lily's.

Ginny saw him coming and opened the door for him, smiling and thanking him as he came in. Ginny called up the stairs for Harry and Harry came down. "Remus is here to see you," Ginny said, smiling.

Harry looked at him, surprised. "Hi," Harry said. Ginny left the room.

"Ginny contacted me, Harry," Remus started. "She said that you were worried that you had no memories." Harry drew back from where he was sat with Remus.

"I'm fine, Remus," Harry said, closing off. From the door, Ginny watched and sighed. She'd hoped that this would bring Harry and Remus closer together.

"I have some things of your parents'." Harry looked up as Remus opened his bag and pulled out the first thing. It was the shaving kit. "This was Sirius'. He told me, before he d- died, that he was going to use it to teach you to shave," Remus told him. Harry didn't speak as Remus continued to explain all of the things he had for Harry. Finally, he took out James' watch, Lily's necklace and the box containing their wedding rings.

"In the wizarding world, Harry, when you reach seventeen, it is customary to give you a watch. This is your father's watch that his parents, Henry and Emma, gave to him on his seventeenth birthday, on March 27th 1978. It would have been the watch he gave you, Harry."

Harry took the watch and put it on his wrist, not even thinking about just putting it into his suitcase.

Remus picked up the necklace. "On the final day of Hogwarts, James proposed to Lily and they were married in the following December, on New Years' Eve. This was Lily's wedding present from James. The hearts have garnets and aquamarines studded into them. These were Lily and James' birthstones."

"Finally, Harry," Remus said, taking the box holding the three rings, "these were your parents' wedding rings and your mother's engagement ring."

Harry's hands shook as he touched each ring. Two were just plain gold bands and one was gold with an emerald in the middle and diamonds on either side. Harry knew that these weren't going in his case either.

"Thank you so much, Remus," Harry said, smiling. "I have to go and talk to Ginny," he said, standing. Ginny scurried away quickly upstairs.

"I thought you might," Remus said. "I'm happy for you, Harry, and, if you can whilst you're in Minborn, don't forget to contact me," he smiled.

"I won't," Harry said, grinning and then running upstairs to where Ginny would be. She was putting her new shampoo into her case in her bedroom. "Hi," he said, grinning and putting the ring box in his pocket.

"Did you have a nice talk with Remus?" she asked, looking over her case and checking that everything was in there.

"Yes. Thank you for that," he said, kissing her quickly. Ginny smiled and then went to zip up her case. "Ginny, will you come for a walk with me?"

Ginny beamed and nodded, taking his hand. He led her outside and they walked to wear they had sat when Harry was skipping stones. Harry fiddled in his pocket, trying to pull out the right ring. He found the one with the gem and pulled it out. His palms were sweaty. "Ginny," Harry started, gulping, "you are already my wife, because of the ministry, but I want you to agree to be my wife on our terms too. I can't say that I love you yet, because I just don't know, but I want to be able to know. I want you to teach me to love you. I can't wait for us to have a baby and to live the rest of our lives together. Ginny, will you marry me?" he asked, kneeling down and holding out the ring for her. Harry smiled crookedly.

Ginny laughed and nodded. "Yes, my husband, I will marry you," she agreed, pulling him into a kiss.

"This was my mum's ring," Harry said, sliding it onto her finger, "and these are their wedding rings. I want us to wear them."

Ginny agreed and she wore both rings on her finger. She kissed him again, unbelievably happily.

**LiveLaughLove**

Ron was gone and Harry would leave with Ginny the next day. Although Harry knew he would see Ron in Minborn, it seemed like the end of their friendship. As Ron left, Harry had promised to keep up with seeing Ron, but Harry knew it wasn't likely. He and Ginny would have five children to look after and the new baby, eventually, and Ron and Romilda would be having children too.

Hermione, Ginny had told him, hated Rick, the man who she would have to have a child with and live with for the first month in Minborn, as well as in Rome and, despite her beautiful children, Hermione was completely dreading going. Not that Harry wasn't, of course, but for completely different reasons.

Harry couldn't wait to start his life with Ginny, properly getting to know her without little 'chats' with her brothers or discrete clearing of throats whenever they kissed. No, Harry was worried about leaving the wizarding world to deal with Voldemort. Harry was the one the prophecy spoke about and, so, he was the only one who could get rid of Voldemort, which meant that for five years, Voldemort would go unchecked. He would murder and rape and destroy lives for five years whilst Harry played happy families with Ginny.

However, Harry was most scared that he would get back and the Burrow would be gone, the Weasleys dead, along with Remus, Tonks, the Order. Maybe Voldemort would have taken over the ministry, taken over Hogwarts? And Harry knew that he couldn't do much to stop that, but he could protect some of them.

Harry threw the covers off him and looked at Ron's empty bed, sighing. Harry pulled on some jeans and a t-shirt before creeping downstairs and grabbing some floo powder. "Gringotts!" he hissed, throwing down the powder and whirling away in a flurry of smoke.

He landed in Gringotts and no goblins looked up. He approached the front desk and asked to see whoever was in charge of real estate. The goblin sent him to the office of Dom.

"Mr Potter!" Dom exclaimed as Harry walked in. Harry was shocked at the happy demeanour of the goblin. "You are interested in buying a house?"

"Erm," Harry started, "I don't know if you are aware that all the fifteen to eighteen year olds at all the wizarding schools are going to Minborn?" Dom inclined his head. "Well, I'm worried about my, my wife's family. Voldemort is after me and he will do anything to get there, including killing my wife's family. I want to purchase a house big enough to house them all and then have the strongest wards, including the fidelius charm, put on the house. If I am the secret keeper, all the better, but I am leaving at eight am tomorrow morning." Dom followed, nodding his head.

"Well, shall we look at some houses?" Dom asked smiling the weird goblin smile. "Is there anywhere in particular you want to look at?"

Harry shook his head. "There needs to be ten bedrooms," Harry explained.

"I'll be back in a second."

Dom returned with a file and showed Harry some of the houses.

"It will be ready on August 2nd, so you will have to choose a secret keeper, or two, in which case it would be safer, before you go."

Harry agreed and took the portkey to the new house back to the Burrow.

It didn't take long to convince Fred and George to sort everything out. They would both be secret keepers and take the Weasleys, Remus and Tonks to the house on 2nd August, the day Hermione left. Harry climbed the stairs back up to his bedroom and groaned when he saw Ginny sat on his bed, legs crossed. She raised her eyebrows. "Would you like to explain where you've been?"

**LiveLaughLove**

Harry woke up again the morning, still tired. He had just over five hours sleep – three until eight. "Come on, lazy bones!" Ginny shouted, arms crossed in the doorway. "We're going!"

Harry looked about the room where he had spent a lot of his summers. Next time he was here, he would have children. They probably wouldn't be able to stay at the Burrow a lot, with five children already and Ginny expected to be pregnant within the month.

Harry and Ginny hadn't talked much about the future pregnancy. They had said that they definitely didn't want to pay the fine and that they wanted children that they had created themselves, not that they didn't love their magically made children. They hadn't talked about the sex part of things. Ginny had teased about lingerie, but they hadn't talked about sex.

Harry was nervous, if he was honest. He felt as though there were high expectations of him. He knew Ginny was a virgin, like him, but he felt like he was going through some sort of test and he didn't like to fail. Harry was so nervous, in fact, that he had spoken to Bill about it.

Bill had been happy to explain to Harry what he would have to do – as long as it made his sister happy. Effectively, it was the 'talk' and Harry couldn't be more grateful. Now, Harry had an idea of what to do to make it good for Ginny, especially the first time. Bill had informed Harry that it would hurt Ginny and Harry had been terrified that he would make it worse for her.

"Harry!" Ginny cried again, snapping him from his flashback. "Come on," she prompted.

Harry checked the room a final time, before getting changed into the clothes Ginny had picked for him. Their suitcases were all downstairs, ready to go. Only Mr and Mrs Weasley would go to the airport with them, so any goodbyes would be said before they went, although they had mainly said them last night, to get them out of the way. It was hugs and 'good lucks' before they went.

Hermione said a quick goodbye, promising that they would meet up all the time in Minborn. Harry wished her luck on her journey. Then, each of Ginny's brothers had said goodbye, reminding Harry that he was to look after their sister. Fred and George quietly told Harry that they would carry out the plan. Finally, Harry embraced Remus, the last of his dad's friends. "Look after yourself, Harry," Remus said, as he had heard so many times that morning. Harry nodded solemnly and returned the sentiment.

The ministry drove away quickly and Harry and Ginny continued to stare at where they had last seen the Burrow, long after it wasn't there anymore. "We're going to have a good life, Harry," Ginny told him, smiling.

"We are," he agreed, squeezing her hand.

It wasn't a long journey to Heathrow Airport. Pulling out their suitcases, Harry spoke with Molly, thanking her for everything she'd done for him and then thanked her for her daughter. Molly was sobbing as she embraced Harry tightly, murmuring that he was the only one she trusted her daughter with.

Meanwhile, Arthur was holding his only daughter in his arms. She was crying softly into his shoulder. "You're going to be a fantastic mother, Ginny," he told her and was pleased to see her smile, "and an even better wife to Harry. I can't wait to meet the beautiful grandchildren you and Harry have. Look after each other, Ginny," he finished, hugging her one last time, before letting go of her and kissing her forehead. "Harry!" he called, embracing his son-in-law warmly. Ginny smiled before getting bowled over by Hurricane Molly.

It was another ten minutes, before Harry and Ginny were waving off Molly and Arthur. Ginny swiped away a few final tears and smiled at Harry. "This is it, Harry," Ginny said, looking around herself. There were people in their thousands with bags and suitcases. Some were crying and some were smiling. "What do we do first?"

Harry looked at her. The only time he had been to the airport was on a school trip, a long time ago, and they had been to Gatwick Airport. He vaguely remembered what to do. "Okay, let's get our passports and tickets out."

They joined a relatively short queue to deposit their luggage and have their tickets checked. Ginny was fidgeting and Harry was on the verge of flicking her. Ginny unzipped her hand luggage and then zipped it again. "Ginevra," Harry hissed. Ginny turned laser eyes onto Harry.

"What did you call me?" Ginny asked, eyebrow cocked.

"Ginevra," he whispered into her ear. Ginny pursed her lips and Harry kissed them.

"Oi!" she complained, shoving him off and laughing.

"Next please," the man at the desk said.

"Oh, yum," Ginny said, looking at the young man. Harry looked at her. "Oh, don't worry; you're sexier than him," Ginny told him, poking him in the side. Harry blushed. Quickly, Ginny leaned up and kissed him.

"Hello," the check-in man said, smiling at them both. "Have you flown with us before?" he asked.

"No, actually, this is our first time flying," Ginny answered, smiling up at Harry.

"Ever?" the man said, shocked. "Well, if you need any tips," he offered Ginny.

"Yeah, we're fine thanks," Harry said, glaring. "It's our honeymoon actually," Harry told the man, squeezing Ginny's bum obviously. Ginny's eyes widened and she giggled.

"Well, then," the man started, "if you'd just show me your tickets, I can get you moving." Harry and Ginny took out their tickets and the man scanned them in on his computer screen. "And your luggage please?"

Harry first picked up his suitcase and watched the scale go from 0.0kg to 12.7kg. He sighed in relief, his worry of being over 15kg flying away. Ginny's was 13.3kg and then they left, happy to be rid of the suitcases.

It was half an hour later that Harry and Ginny were through all the processes at the airport and had entered the shopping area. "Do you want to get something to eat?" Harry asked, looking at the variety of restaurants. Ginny nodded, smiling.

As they sat eating a full English breakfast in a restaurant quarter of an hour later, Ginny giggled. "What?" Harry asked, swallowing some bacon.

"You were jealous before," she stated simply.

"I was not!" he denied to Ginny's giggles.

"'It's our honeymoon actually'," Ginny mocked, laughing. "And you squeezed my bum!"

Harry blushed and apologised, to Ginny's amusement. "I'm fed up of all these people flirting with you. You need to – you should – erm – stop being so attractive!"

"I'm attractive, am I, Potter?" Ginny laughed, leaning across the table, looking as though she were going to kiss him, before nicking a sausage and winking as she ate it.

Harry leaned across the table and bit half the sausage and ate it. "And who said romance was dead?" Ginny asked, giggling.

A few minutes later, they were done and the screens around the airport said that they could approach gate 27. Ginny squeezed Harry's hand and they, armed with hand luggage, set off for the gate.

As first class passengers, they were allowed to get on first and were accompanied to their seats by a flight attendant, who informed them that champagne would be on its way shortly. In front of them was a television with a variety of films on offer. The seats were able to be fully reclined and they could remove the barrier in between them if they wanted to. The champagne was delivered along with chocolates and a 'comfort set', comprising of a pillow, blanket, headphones and the menu for lunch.

Before they set off, Ginny and Harry opened their packet of wine gums and both chose a red-coloured sweet to suck on for the take-off. Neither of them ever having experienced this before, Harry and Ginny clenched each other's hands as the plane gained momentum.

"You alright?" Harry asked a few minutes later, when Ginny was breathing heavily in shock next to him.

Ginny nodded, looking out of the window. "Wow," she murmured, looking down as the world grew smaller and smaller. "This is crazy," she told Harry, looking at him and kissing him.

After eating the remainder of the wine gums, Harry and Ginny were approached by the flight attendant, who gave them a glass of champagne each and an envelope.

Sipping their champagne, they tore open the envelope and found a wad of paper and a pen. The first page said, 'Mr and Mrs Harry and Ginevra Potter – Applebury House, Spiaggia Vista Collina, Minborn'. Inside, they found a contents page:

_Page 4 – Family_

_Page 10 – Home_

_Page 17 – Work_

_Page 24 – Calendar_

_Page 27 – Duties_

_Page 29 – Contact Information_

_Page 30 – Rules_

Flipping through the booklet, Harry and Ginny found details of their children's primary school and teachers. To their horror, Anna, their five year old daughter, was to be in Draco Malfoy's reception class. "Is Draco Malfoy really a teacher?" Harry said, irritated. Ginny huffed beside him. "Let's just move on," Harry said, after a while.

In the 'home' section, the newlyweds became disgruntled when they discovered that they had servants – 14 live-in and 18 otherwise. What really angered Ginny, however, was that their housekeeper was Cho Chang or Cho Cook, as she was now that she had married their children's sports tutor. She had three girls, Erica, Harmony and Melody, and two boys, Richard and Clive, as well as a niece and a nephew, who stayed with her, John and Jennifer.

The 'work' section detailed their job description and their employees, as well as any job specific rules.

The calendar was the most exciting section, as it properly explained what was going to happen in Rome and then in Minborn. They read through their next few days, becoming increasingly excited when they saw that, on 16th August, their children would come and live with them forever.

The next few hours passed quickly for Harry and Ginny, as they talked and watched films and ate the food supplied to them by the flight attendants. When they were about to start the descent, they plugged in their seat belts again and took a Worther's Original from the bag they had purchased at the airport, sucking on it, until they bumped onto the ground.

"Are we really in Rome?" Ginny asked, looking out of the window at the sunny sky.

"Welcome to Rome," the flight attendant said, as they vacated the plane, holding their hand luggage.

**LiveLaughLove**

It was an hour later that they collected their suitcases and were out of the airport, feeling the Italian sun beat down on their backs. A taxi met them outside and they were driven to a beautiful block of apartments. Inside, they were greeted by a woman in a green polo and black trousers. Her hair was tied back and her voice was slightly nasal when she spoke.

She started, "Hello! I am the co-ordinator for this building, where about fifty couples or singletons will live." She giggled. "My name is Kim and I'll be escorting you to seminars and classes whilst you're here. You are the lucky ones; this is the nicest block. Can I take your names please?"

"Harry and Ginny Potter," Harry said, smiling.

The woman looked confused, "Do you mean Harry and Ginevra?"

"Yes," Ginny said through ground teeth. Harry laughed and squeezed her waist.

"And are you really Harry Potter?" Kim asked, leaning in. Harry just nodded. "Okay, well you're the first ones here, so we'll have to wait for the rest. You'll be in the penthouse," Kim explained and Harry and Ginny smiled politely.

Eventually, the other people began to arrive. They were from all over the world, judging by their foreign tongues. Kim waved her wand around in a circle and then explained that it was a translating spell, so that they could all understand each other. Then, she began to read off a list of everybody in the building and their room number. Harry and Ginny were in room 28, the top room, which covered the whole top floor.

Kim informed them that they were all heads of different areas and that they would meet up a lot over the next five years and then she gave them another copy of the calendar each, their keys (to the garage and to their apartment) and the list with each name and room number on. "Okay, we'll reconvene here in an hour. You all have dinner reservations at different restaurants that I need to tell you about," she said, smiling at them all with bright white teeth and they knew that they were dismissed. Harry and Ginny took the stairs as the lift was packed with people. There were ten floors and there's was the tenth. When they reached the top floor, they unlocked the door and entered their apartment.

It was perfect. Upon entering, to the left was a small toilet and straight ahead was the open plan dining and living area, which also opened out to a balcony through a set of glass doors. Taking a right, opposite the kitchen, were the four bedrooms. One, theirs, had a double bed, a big wardrobe holding everything they'd bought and an ensuite. The next room was clearly a boy's room, with football decorations and two beds. It was clearly to be shared between James and Sirius. Lily and Anna's room was set out to be a princess' room. The final room had a single bed and a toddlers' bed.

"Just in case I have to kick you out of bed," Ginny joked, winking. Harry laughed.

On the dining room table, they found a pale pink folder with their names on the front. Inside was various information and forms to fill out, the first of which being appointing people onto the council of Applebury. The map sent of Applebury showed that about 8000 people would be living in Applebury, not including their children. It was a huge area.

Ginny leafed through the folder, whilst Harry read a document about their responsibilities as heads of Applebury. She found a note and pulled it out.

It read:

_Harry, my boy,_

_You've probably been wondering why you've done so well with your situation in Minborn. You are married to your friend's sister; you have five children; you have a big house and lots of responsibility. You will be waited on by servants and have a wonderful life in Minborn._

_This is an apology for last year and the press' unforgivable actions towards you. I deeply apologise to you, on their behalf._

_I hope you have an excellent time in Minborn and that our friendship remains unhindered._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Minister C Fudge_


	6. Chapter 6

Live Laugh Love

Chapter Six: When in Rome

"Ginny!" Harry shouted through the flat. "We'll miss Kim's instructions, at this rate." Ginny rolled her eyes and finished applying her lipstick. As it was her first proper date with Harry and the start of their married lives, Ginny had put on one of her favourite dresses from Harrods.

In her own opinion, she looked beautifully sophisticated in royal blue. It was crafted in fluid silk chiffon and the front was gently pleated while the back cascaded in a mermaid tail train. Inside, a boned bodice ensured a fully supportive fit, which Ginny was sure Harry would enjoy. She had black sandals and a black belt tied around her middle.

She grinned at herself in the mirror and walked out of the bedroom. "Finally!" Harry said. "Honestly, you take your time with everything, don't you? I swear, you wome-"

Harry trailed off as he saw her. Her beautiful ginger tresses were down, flirting with the small of her back. Her dress was the most complimentary thing he'd ever seen on a woman and she was the most beautiful woman in the world.

"You like it, then?" Ginny teased, spinning.

"I love it," Harry said, kissing her. "Let's go."

**LiveLaughLove**

Kim had got them reservations at Pinsere Roma, which served, primarily, pizza and pasta dishes. They were seated straight away and were allowed to peruse the menu for a while. "This place is beautiful," Ginny observed, sipping the wine they had been given.

"Are you excited for this all to start?" Harry asked his wife.

Ginny nodded. "I am, but I'm nervous too, especially about being a mum, so young. I mean, you saw me freak on that first day, like a child myself. I want them to like me, not just love me, if you understand me?" Ginny didn't give Harry time to answer. "And I want to get the balance right between working hard and overworking, because I don't want to neglect the children. Hermione said that sometimes she would have to be looked after by a nanny at night, because her parents worked so hard. I'm gonna be a medical analyst, Harry, learning how to heal diseases in a lab: it's going to be hard work. I don't want to ignore our children just because we need to wor-"

"We won't," Harry stated plainly, "Okay, we just won't."

"Okay, let's be optimistic," Ginny said, forcing a smile onto her face and raising her glass. "To us!"

**LiveLaughLove**

Hermione Granger sat in the room she stayed in at the Burrow for the last time. This was likely to be the last time she ever stayed in this room. Over the next five years, she was expected to marry and have children with a man she will probably never have met up to this point. It was all well and good for people like Harry and Ginny with their perfect marriage and perfect family, but she didn't get that. No, she was married to a man who she, to be frank, hated.

She thought she'd hated Draco Malfoy; she thought she'd hated Katie Evans at primary school, who'd mocked and belittled her for being too clever, too much of a bookworm, but that was nothing to the man who had threated to rape her and kill her children, if she even spoke out of turn to him or lectured him.

Rick was one of the seventy-two students from Albania and he had grown up with a father who was a drug dealer and a mother who was a prostitute. They had travelled around to escape detection and to promote their businesses, their wares, when he was a child and Rick had got caught up in it.

Hermione would feel sorry for him, if he wasn't an absolute bastard, who didn't give a damn about their son.

Hermione breathed. Her children. They were beautiful, each and every one of them. She'd never considered herself maternal, until it had been forced on her.

There was a knock and Hermione steadied her breath to tell them to come in. It was the twins.

"Hey, 'Mione," they greeted simultaneously.

"You all ready?" one of them asked.

Hermione nodded, gesturing to her suitcase and hand luggage, which had been fully packed for days now. The twins sat down on either side of her and gave her the bottle of butterbeer they'd brought up for her, for which she thanked them.

"Hermione," one of them started, "Once you can leave this Rick fellow, do it. Don't stay for any misguided reasons that your children will miss him."

Hermione nodded.

The other twin began, "And don't feel obligated to be with Ron either," he said. Hermione's head snapped up. "Don't feel as though you and Ron were 'meant to be together' or any such tosh. He- Just, look after yourself, Hermione. Put yourself, and your children, first."

Hermione nodded again and the twins plopped kisses down on her hair. "We're gonna miss you, Hermione," they told her.

"I'm gonna miss you too," she said, feeling tears shining in her eyes.

"Of course you are," one of them teased, winking.

"Who wouldn't?" the other one said.

And, with that, they left, leaving Hermione with her thoughts.

** LiveLaughLove**

Draco Malfoy slammed his glass, full of muggle beer into the table. He'd escaped Malfoy Manor about an hour ago, after his father had told him that he would be inducted into the Death Eaters that night, before he went to Minborn. Draco had made sure that he appeared pleased, and, when his father told him to go and get ready, Draco had fled.

He ran onto the open road in Wiltshire and conjured the Knight Bus, taking his suitcase and carry on for the muggle plane with him. He arrived at Diagon Alley a few minutes later and quickly spoke with the goblins in Gringotts, taking out 5000 muggle pounds and then fleeing the wizard central, again summoning the Knight Bus. He knew that his parents would come to the Leaky Cauldron first, so he couldn't stay there.

He asked to be taken to London City Airport, where he would fly from the next day, and found the closest hotel: Aloft London Excel. They had given him some funny looks when he had paid for his suite with cash, but had let him in anyway.

He took a shower to distract himself and then went down to the bar, where he had been greeted politely. The beer was good, very good. Better than anything served at the Leaky Cauldron. Better than anything he'd had before, if he was honest. And vodka! Why hadn't wizards discovered vodka? Or liquors?

And televisions? Draco had to say he'd never been as entertained as when he had watched Coronation Street on the television and then the news had come on, causing the slamming of his drink.

Voldemort, there was no doubt about it, had destroyed every bridge that allowed muggles to cross the Thames river. The muggles were baffled, obviously, and Draco felt pity. He didn't feel it very often, only when he heard the screams of the people being tortured in the basement at the Manor.

What had they done wrong? Why had he been led to the belief that they were a completely different species? They weren't. The only difference was the lack of magic, in his opinion. It was a good thing Draco was good at occlumency, because he had been forming this opinion over the summer and Voldemort had been around during that time, probably trying to read his mind.

Draco downed his beer and ordered a vodka.

**LiveLaughLove**

Ginny changed into a pair of silk pyjamas that the Harrods saleswoman had raved about. They weren't particularly sexy, but, if Ginny was honest, she didn't want to look sexy tonight. It was her first night with Harry, properly, and they both knew that sex was off the table tonight.

"You ready for bed?" Harry asked, in a pair of his own silk pyjamas. Ginny nodded, smiling slightly and getting into bed on the left side. Harry pulled her close to him when they were both in bed and kissed her on the table. "Sweet dreams, Gin," he whispered.

"You too, Harry," she replied.

And, with that, they slept.

**LiveLaughLove**

Hermione was stood in the queue for a hot chocolate to go from Costa and she was constantly seeing people she knew. Neville and Hannah Longbottom were there, with Ernie Macmillan and his fiancée, Emily, and Hermione had had breakfast with them, before they'd perused the duty free.

She'd been stood in the queue for ten minutes now and, about three minutes ago, Draco Malfoy had come to stand behind her. He hadn't said a thing. The Draco Malfoy Hermione knew would have called her a mudblood, would have made a comment about her hair or _something_ by now and, to be honest, it was disconcerting.

He didn't look good either, from what Hermione could see: heavy purple bags under his steel eyes; gaunt cheeks. He looked almost scared, as if somebody would find him here. Hermione rolled her eyes. Who knew what Malfoy was up to?

Finally, Hermione ordered her hot chocolate and sat down at a table, opening her book. Draco Malfoy sat on the opposite side of the coffee shop in London City airport, with a magazine about _cooking_? Hermione almost laughed out loud. Draco Malfoy reading up on cooking was unthinkable. Maybe he'd become a chef in Minborn, Hermione wondered.

About twenty minutes of observations later, Hermione heard the call for the flight and watched a lot of the people in the area get up.

Holding her carry-on bag, Hermione followed the crowds until they reached their gate and were quickly led on to the plane. Hermione could see the wand poking out of the top of the airhostess' pocket and tutted. What was the point of the Statute of Secrecy if even the people the ministry had presumably put in place didn't adhere to it?

Hermione checked her seat number: 15D. Hermione had been on planes enough to know that that was a centre seat. Just what she needed.

**LiveLaughLove**

Harry woke up slowly, languidly. He groaned into his pillow and snuggled onto the scarlet silk sheets, slipping all over the place. Silk sheets and silk pyjamas weren't a good mix. He turned onto his back and rolled his shoulders. It was the most comfortable bed he'd ever slept on.

He heard Ginny mew beside him and then felt her leg brush up against his. Harry watched her for a few more moments, thanking God that Minister Fudge had cooked up this idea and had decided to feel apologetic towards Harry. Who would he be with otherwise?

When they got back to Britain, Harry thought that he might send Fudge some chocolates or some fudge. Harry chuckled at his pun and decided that, since he was in such a good mood, he'd do something for Ginny.

During Harry's childhood in Surrey, every mothers' day or fathers' day or birthday, Harry had to cook breakfast extra early and take it to whoever 'deserved it' this day because of all of their 'hard work'. Harry hated doing it, because he knew that Aunt Petunia or Uncle Vernon or Dudley never deserved it, because they never did any hard work. He'd always dreamed of making breakfast in bed for his mum or his dad, but he knew that was never going to happen. He could, however, make it for his wife and so Harry began.

Harry made crispy bacon and scrambled eggs and sausages which weren't too hard or too soft. He put a pot of beans in the microwave and some toast in the toaster. Making sure that Ginny didn't hear the beep of the microwave, Harry waited until there was one second left and opened the microwave himself. The breakfast was perfect, in Harry's opinion, and there was even some left for him. He placed it on the tray with a glass of orange juice.

There, in the bedroom, though, to ruin his surprise, was an awake and grinning Ginny. Harry pouted slightly. "I thought you might be making me breakfast in bed, so I decided to stay in bed. Thank you," she said, kissing him on his lips as he placed the tray on her lap. He nipped back into the kitchen for his tray and then sat next to her, pulling the covers over himself again.

"Did you sleep well?" he asked her, as he cut into his bacon.

"Mmhmm, except for you snoring all night," Ginny teased.

"I do not snore!"

"Do too."

**LiveLaughLove**

Draco Malfoy had been sat between Granger and his partner, Krislyn, since about half an hour before they had taken off in the muggle aeroplane. Granger hadn't spoken; she was reading the file that had been delievered to her and her partner, who was sat next to her. Her partner had not spoken to her yet, as far as Draco had heard.

Draco himself was reading the file given to him about what his life in Minborn would be like. He looked at his class that he would teach again and rolled his eyes when he saw the name 'Anna Potter' again. Potter's spawn with Weaslette. On top of that, he had Charlotte Vane-Weasley and the Longbottom twins, Alice and Benjamin.

He still wasn't completely sure why he'd signed up to be a primary school teacher. He'd just thought that it would piss his father off the most, teaching children. He'd been annoyed enough when it came out that Draco would have children with a half blood (Daphne Greengrass).

Draco had six children: two with Daphne Greengrass, two with Krislyn Barker and two with Pansy Parkinson. With Daphne, he had a six-year-old, Scorpius, and a five-year-old, Aiden. Krislyn and he had twins, who were three, Lucas and Lyra, and his children with Pansy were one and three months, Alexandra and Felicity respectively.

He'd been to see them multiple times. Daphne was always there and as was Krislyn, but Pansy was only there a few times and, once, she'd been drunk. Draco had kicked her out of the Dragon Room where the children were staying before he could even think. She couldn't give less of a damn about Alexandra and Felicity. She hadn't shown up to the meeting at the ministry when they'd named them, so Draco had allowed his mother to name them the names she would've called a daughter, had Lucius wanted another child.

Unfortunately, no custodial changes could be made until one month into their time in Minborn. The ministry had assigned Draco Thursday to Sunday to be with Alexandra and Felicity and Pansy would have them from Monday to Wednesday. He knew, however, that they would be living with him full time come October.

As Krislyn was his fiancée, Lucas and Lyra lived with them together, but Krislyn had a boyfriend, Jeremy, who she was in love with, so he and Krislyn had agreed that she could move out in October and they would share rights to their twins.

Daphne had been assigned to be engaged to Blaise Zabini, one of Draco's good friends. She had the boys from Saturday to Tuesday and Draco had them Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Draco had done well in terms of housing, with six bedrooms to cater for each of his children and himself, with Aiden and Scorpius sharing. Downstairs, he had an office, a play room and a gym, on top of a huge kitchen, dining room and living room. Maybe the ministries felt sorry for him for having such a bastard of a father.

Out of the corner of his eye, Draco saw Granger shift slightly and then heard her partner speak.

"Will you sit still, you stupid bitch?" he demanded of her. He was an intimidating man, with a well-built chest and tattoos and piercing. He looked like he would squash Draco with his pinky finger, but Draco felt some of that Gryffindor stupidity, or 'bravery' as they called it, welling up inside of him and, before he thought about it, he'd spoken.

"Why don't you leave her alone, you stupid bitch?" Draco had countered. Granger's head snapped to him so quickly that she must have gotten head rush.

"What did you say to me?" the man said.

"I told you to leave Granger alone," Draco said coolly, knowing he had to finish this now. Stupid move, Draco.

"Well, she's my bitch for two months, so I can say what I want to her," he said, growling at Draco.

"She isn't your _bitch_; she's your partner," Draco defended. What was he doing? That seemed to be the thought in Granger and Krislyn's minds too, as they stared at him absurdly.

"What's this got to do with you, you pansy?" the man sneered.

"I don't think you have the right to disrespect Granger like that," Draco told him.

"'Granger'," the man mocked. "Do you know her or something? Are you in love with her?"

Draco rolled his eyes with a smirk. "What do you say, Granger? Are we in love?"

Hermione snorted.

"There's your answer, you stupid prick," Draco spat.

"I'm a stupid prick?" the man laughed out loud. It was loud and Granger winced away from him. "If we weren't on this plane right now, _Malfoy_, (yes, I know who you are), trust me, you'd be having the stuffing punched out of you. Don't know why you're bothered about a filthy _mudblood_ anyway," the man scoffed.

Krislyn put her hand on Draco's arm and he leaned back into his seat, fuming. He didn't know why Granger being called a mudblood was so infuriating. So what if he had a different look on muggles now? He still thought he was superior; it was just that they weren't filth.

Maybe it was because 'mudblood' was _his_ name for Granger.

**LiveLaughLove**

"And we have to go in the next hour," George finished explaining the plan that Harry had set up. When he and Fred had sat all of the family down, seriously, they'd listened.

"And you are sure this is necessary?" Arthur checked. Fred and George nodded.

"We are all Harry's family and, while Voldy can't get to him, he's gonna come for us," Fred explained.

"So pack. Now," George finished. George watched as his family scuttered from the room. "Now, brother, let's go collect the final one."

Fred and George apparated simultaneously with soft pops and arrived outside the visitors' entrance to the Ministry of Magic. Sharing a look, they got into the telephone box and dialled 6-2-4-4-2, letting the voice know that they were going to visit their brother. They collected the badges and were transported to the ministry.

The atrium was quieter than it had been on the times that they'd visited with their dad. People walked quicker and didn't stop to chat. There were no bustlers or homeless people. It was another effect of the war.

Firstly, the twins visited their father's office to drop off a note, which explained his resignation, and the same was dropped off at Charlie and Tonks' desks. Bill and Fleur had been granted temporary leave by the goblins already.

Then, the twins took the lift to level one of the ministry and quickly located the office of the junior assistant to the minister – Percy's office. Rolling their eyes at each other, they knocked simultaneously. The door opened almost straight away with magic and Percy stared at his brothers incredulously.

"What are you doing here?"

"Percy, you know that Voldemort is back," Fred said, uncharacteristically serious.

"And you know that Dad was right," George continued.

"You know that we are practically Harry Potter's family."

"And you therefore know that, while Harry and the like are away, Voldemort's going to come for us."

Percy nodded slightly, not meeting the twins' eyes.

"Then, come on. We're leaving," George said.

Percy stared at his brothers with wide eyes.

"I c-can't just leave!" Percy cried. "I have a job! I have a life!"

"And you won't have a life if you stay!" Fred shouted.

"You will be dead!" George emphasised.

"But I – I have a girlfriend!" Percy protested, eliciting peals of laughter from the twins. Percy looked flustered. "I- I-"

"Sorry," George said, his shoulders still shaking.

"We're here on serious business. For Merlin's sake, Fred," Fred chastised.

"Sorry, George," George apologised.

Percy tutted at their antics.

"Yes, well, Perce," Fred started again, pulling his face into seriousness.

"Are you in love with this girl?" George continued, almost dissolving into laughter on the last word.

"I-" Percy seemed to consider his words carefully. "Yes," he said, as if he put a lot of weight on his next few words. "In fact, she's my fiancée," Percy divulged.

To their credit, Fred and George didn't laugh; they patted him on the back. "Bring her and yourself and all of your things to the Burrow in the next hour," Fred said, before he and his twin marched from the room.

**LiveLaughLove**

It was eleven am by the time all of the Weasleys, and surplus Weasleys, were at the Burrow. Alongside the 'base Weasleys', there was Fleur, Audrey (Percy's fiancée), a woman who Charlie introduced as Elizabeth that he had retrieved from a dragon reserve in Spain when Fred and George had announced it, Remus and Tonks. On top of them, McGonagall had been round just after Hermione had left the previous day to ask if they would take in some war orphans and they had accepted, meaning three boys and three girls would also be joining them: twin seven-year-olds, Henry and Madison, five-year-old Isabella, six-year-old Sophia, eight-year-old Samuel and ten-year-old William. It would be a full household.

The portkey was ready to go and they were all, including the six orphans, huddled around and clutching onto the muggle skateboard. "Five, four, three, two, one," the twins counted down and then they were off. The children squealed and the adults braced themselves.

It was a relatively short journey and they landed on the soft ground in Cumbria before they could even feel sick. It was raining. They pushed their rucksacks properly onto their backs and stood, helping the orphans up. Remus looked around, through the hammering rain, and found where he thought the house was and they ran. The youngest children, Isabella and Sophia, were given piggy backs by the twins and Fleur took Madison's hand as they ran.

By the time that Fred had unlocked the front door, they were all soaking wet. The children were giggling and Bill and Fleur were snogging, to the twins' consternation.

From what the goblins had told Fred and George, the place used to be a bed and breakfast, a rather large one at that. There were fourteen bedrooms, four of which being on the ground floor, six on the first floor and the final four being on the top. Each room had an en-suite and a walk-in wardrobe. Other than that, though, the house was undecorated and unfurnished. There was no kitchen cupboards and no bathroom, save for one toilet and sink. All the goblins had given them was some catalogues on ordering furniture, but they'd have to fit it themselves, because of the fidelius charm. Even so, straight away, they began to order.

The property wasn't far from Keswick, so the Weasley boys offered to go and get them some beds and some takeout food, since the furniture wouldn't be delivered until the next day.

The adults transfigured what they could into chairs for them to sit on, but they wouldn't last overnight, hence their ordering of furniture.

The children had very few belongings with them and barely any games, so Remus taught them to play a card game, whilst they waited for the boys to get back with the furniture.

Elizabeth, Audrey and Fleur sat together, drinking some of the pumpkin juice that they'd brought from the Weasleys' kitchen. "So, this is life now," Elizabeth said, leaning against the wall in the room that would become the lounge. Fleur nodded.

"This is life."

**LiveLaughLove**


	7. Chapter 7

Live Laugh Love

Chapter Seven: When in Rome, part two

It was dark when their flight landed at the airport in Rome. Hermione closed the book she'd been reading and looked around. She wished that she'd been in a window seat, rather than between Rick and Malfoy. She would've liked to have seen Rome from the air.

She'd wanted to go to Rome for a long time, since her father told her about the Roman Empire and the coliseums, since she'd watched television programmes about it. She'd wanted to see all the beautiful sights, but now? Now, she didn't want anything more than to go home and be with her mum and dad.

Remus had taken her to see her parents in mid-July, to tell them about what was going to happen. They'd cried and cursed the wizarding world, but told her that they loved her, and their new grandchildren, no matter what. Then, because of the looming danger of Voldemort, she'd had to go, sobbing into Remus' arms.

In her heart of hearts, Hermione knew that that could have been the last time she ever saw her parents. They wouldn't go to a safe house like Remus suggested, because they would lose their dental practice. Hermione knew that she might get back and find her parents dead, find herself an orphan, like Harry, and that petrified her.

Hermione took down the hand luggage that the ministry had sent to her from the racks above her seat and followed Rick out, not looking at Malfoy and the woman who he had called Krislyn. She couldn't believe that Malfoy had defended her and she'd spent the whole plane journey trying to reason his actions, but she couldn't. What on earth had been going on inside Malfoy's head?

Without talking, Hermione and Rick collected their suitcases from the luggage carousel and were greeted by a taxi upon leaving the airport. They were driven to an ugly apartment block with peeling yellow paint on its walls. They entered the apartment after tipping the taxi driver. Inside was a man who was talking to a group of people, probably others that lived in the apartment block. He explained to them about what his job was as their planner and then gave them a pack of things. Their apartment had three bedrooms, one for Rick and Hermione, one for the girls and one for the boys, when they arrived in the middle of August.

On their kitchen table was a letter, to Hermione.

_Hey, Hermione!_

_I hope your flight was good and that you got to the apartment well. Hope Rick wasn't too much of a git? I'm so sorry that you ended up with an idiot like him, but you'll be able to leave him soon and, if he gives you any trouble, I'll give you free law work (joking, man's gotta make a living;)). _

_Ginny and I were wondering if you'd like to come round for tea tonight? At, say, five? If you haven't turned up by six, we'll assume you're not coming._

_We live in the penthouse in Piazza Di Spagna._

_Hopefully we'll see you tonight._

_Hope you're okay._

_Love,_

_Harry_

Hermione laughed at her best friend. She was glad he was so happy, even if she wasn't.

"What are you laughing at, you stupid bitch?"

And back to real life.

**LiveLaughLove**

Harry and Ginny arrived back from the Roman coliseum and their food shopping trip late afternoon. Ginny was sat at the kitchen table, writing out a meal plan for the week, so they knew what they'd be eating. They'd talked to the woman at the supermarket and she'd given them ideas so that they could be as healthy as possible, which was important to Harry and Ginny.

For example, on Saturday, they would have a 'berry burst' smoothie for breakfast, beef and cucumber salad for lunch and sweet and sour pork for tea. Tonight, when hopefully Hermione would be there, they would be having creamy beef stroganoff.

"Pour a bit of oil into the wok, Gin?" Harry asked, as he took over from chopping up the onions from Ginny, who had been crying, to her shock.

Ginny clicked her fingers and looked around. "Wok?" she questioned and Harry laughed.

"The frying pan," he explained.

"Ah!" she exclaimed, turning with her fingers pointed at the large pan.

"Good girl," Harry said patronisingly. He got a slap on the arse in retribution, to which he gave her a snog. "Bloody hell, Gin," Harry said a few seconds later, when she poured half the bottle of oil into the pan. Harry laughed at her, hard.

"Oi!" she protested. "I don't know these things," she told him.

"I know," Harry chuckled. "And that's why I have to teach you," Harry continued, as Ginny leaned forward and her cleavage became on show. "Ah, yes," Harry said, blushing and turning back towards the dinner. He felt her squeeze his arse and kiss his neck, softly.

"I'm gonna go and get changed, love, for Hermione," she explained, watching him pour the oil back into the bottle with a laugh.

"Okay," he replied, adding the onion into the oil, when he'd gotten rid of most of it. He turned up the heat and added the strips of sirloin steak he'd cut up previously. Then, he added the mushrooms and added the white wine, letting it bubble as the recipe said. Stirring in the Philadelphia and Dijon mustard, Harry heard Ginny re-enter and turned to look. He dropped the spatula and heard it splat on the floor.

"Ginny," he started, mouth having gone dry. The dress she was wearing was like a second skin and had a metallic, wood grain foil print. It finished mid-thigh with a curved front hem. It dipped down between her breasts and teased him with just the slightest view of each breast. Ginny smirked at his reaction, but it slipped away when he pinned her against the wall and pushed a knee between her legs.

It was a few minutes later when they were interrupted. "My word, it smells good in he- Oh!" Hermione exclaimed when she walked into the kitchen and found her best friend and Ginny, who immediately sprang apart, swollen lips and all. "Oh, goodness, Ginny, have you heard of these things normal people wear? They're called clothes," Hermione quipped as she saw Ginny's dress. Ginny didn't turn remotely red and just laughed, asking Hermione what she wanted to drink.

"I'll just have water, please, Ginny," Hermione requested as she took a seat at the table.

"How was the flight, Hermione?" Harry asked her as he dished out the rice, veg and stroganoff.

"Oh!" Hermione suddenly exclaimed, remembering what had happened. "You'll never guess what happened," she gushed.

**LiveLaughLove**

At ten o clock, Hermione left, saying that she was exhausted. Harry and Ginny snuggled up on the sofa and put on Grease, one of the films given to them by Kim, and, by the end, Ginny was asking to watch it again. Harry rolled his eyes. Nearing midnight, Harry suggested that they should go to bed. Ginny agreed.

She got changed quickly and prepared herself for what she was about to do.

Putting her arms around his neck, Ginny kissed him for all she was worth, fingering his waistline.

Harry, feeling what she was doing, pushed her off him. "What are you doing?" he asked her, furrowing his brow.

Ginny stared at him with her mouth parted slightly. "I-"

"Gin, we've barely been going out a month," Harry started.

"You're my husband!" Ginny cried.

"And we've got a month for this, Gin. We don't need to do this now," Harry told her, scared at the thought, if he was honest.

"When, then, Harry? Do you think I'll just get pregnant overnight? We should be going at it like rabbits so that I'm pregnant by September-"

"I'm not sleeping with you so that you'll get pregnant, Ginny. I don't want that to be what our relationship is about."

"But, Harry-"

"No, Ginny. I said no."

"Fine!" Ginny snapped, getting into bed and crossing her arms, staring at the ceiling.

"Ginny, I'm not angry at you," Harry tried to soothe.

"No, you just don't want to sleep with me. Am I unattractive or something? Do I not get you hard enough?"

"Ginny-"

"Most normal boys wouldn't protest at all if they had a willing girl happy to shag them!" she shouted, getting back out of bed and putting her hands on her hips.

"I'm not normal then?" Harry screamed back, following her out of bed.

"Clearly not!"

"I don't understand what I've done wrong here, Ginny!"

"You refused to have sex with me!"

"Because I'm not having our first time to be based on wanting to get pregnant!"

"Well, that's what this whole situation is about, Harry, so you're not going to let me into your pants for years then?"

"Ginny, that's not what I mean-"

Ginny rolled her eyes and stormed out of the room.

"Ginny, where are you going?"

"To sleep in the spare room!" she screamed at him. "Since I obviously _repulse_ you so much!"

**LiveLaughLove**

Hermione lay on the couch, uncomfortable. She couldn't sleep. Rick said that sometime this week, they'd be sleeping together, since he had to 'knock her up' by September.

She couldn't think of anything worse. He was vile. She didn't want to have her first time with this horrid man, but there wasn't any choice, now was there?

With that awful thought, the tears came, streaming down her cheeks like rivers and overtaking her.

For the first time in a long time, Hermione cried herself to sleep.

**LiveLaughLove**

Harry woke up to the sound of Ginny screaming. He shot out of bed and grabbed his wand, which they were banned from using. Rushing into the spare bedroom, he watched Ginny thrash on the bed. "Ginny!" he called, shaking her. She turned onto her side and sobbed. Harry got onto the bed beside her and held her as she sobbed into his chest.

When she'd calmed down to the point that only her shoulders were shaking, rather than her whole body, Harry whispered to her, "Was it a nightmare?"

She clutched to his shirt as she nodded and began to talk, "He- Voldemort had the ch-children and he was t-torturing them and then- then, he was torturing me and he gave Lily, our Lily, the diary and I had to watch as she did exactly what I did in my first y-year," Ginny sniffed. "And then he brought y-you out and you w-were all beaten u-up and you s-said that you d-didn't want me anymore, that y-you'd never l-love me," she finished, burying her head back into Harry's chest. Harry tightened his arms around her.

"You know that that's not true, don't you?" Harry whispered into her ear. Ginny nodded hesitantly. "I will _always_ want you," he told her. "And there is no way that _Riddle_ can ever get to our children, okay? I would die before that happened," he confessed to her. Ginny nodded again. "Okay, now, let's get this bed sorted back out," he said, sorting out the sheets that had moved during her nightmare and dragging her duvet back on top of her.

Then, he made to get into the bed himself. "What are you doing?" Ginny asked, drawing back from him with a furrowed brow. "This doesn't change anything, Harry."

"But-" Harry rolled his eyes. "Okay, of course. Bye," he said, sarcastically as he left the room, more pissed off than he'd been before he fell asleep.

**LiveLaughLove**

He woke up the next morning, still severely annoyed. He couldn't believe she'd snuggled up to him, told him about her nightmare and then sent him away like he was some sort of rentboy, like she was his mistress or something.

He made the smoothie that they'd bought the ingredients for the day before and put a glass in his place and a glass opposite him. Ginny joined him a few minutes later and thanked him for the smoothie, stiffly.

They sat, in silence, drinking their berry drinks and getting angrier by the second. Once she'd finished, Ginny stalked out to their bedroom, got out a dress and went to get changed in the spare room. Harry growled and rolled his eyes. She was so infuriating.

This whole situation was so infuriating. "You're being stupid," Harry burst a few minutes later, when she emerged from the spare room.

Ginny turned furious eyes to him. "Oh I am, am I?"

"Yes," Harry stated. "I didn't have sex with you last night because I want the first time I make love to you to be under our own terms. I know that that isn't going to happen in the next five years, Ginny, I know that, but I don't like it. I don't want our first time to be controlled by the ministry."

"I understand that, Harry," Ginny said, sighing, "but it is going to be and we have to have sex so that I can get pregnant. I want to have sex with you, Harry. This isn't all about the ministry. I do want you," she confessed. Harry grinned slightly.

"Yeah?" he said. Ginny rolled her eyes. "I want you too," he told her. Ginny nodded, swallowing obviously.

"Then, it's under our terms, Harry. I want you – you want me. That's as close as we're going to get," she told him, biting her lip.

Harry nodded, conceding. "I know." He nodded again. "Okay. Okay. When shall we...?"

Ginny smiled. "Tonight," Ginny stated.

"Tonight," Harry repeated, smiling at her.

**LiveLaughLove**

Later on that day, Harry and Ginny sat in a courtyard where they served gelato, called Gelatea del Teatro ai Coronari. "Harry," Ginny started as she ate the remnants of her gelato. "I want to say sorry. I shouldn't have thrown you out of bed when you comforted me last night. That was cruel," Ginny admitted.

Harry looked down into his gelato. "Yeah, it was," he agreed.

"I'm sorry," Ginny repeated, looking into his eyes. Harry reached across and squeezed her hand.

"I just wanted to help," he told her.

"I know," Ginny said weakly. "I just wanted to be angry at you for a bit longer."

"I forgive you," Harry told her. "Next time you have a nightmare, though, I want to be able to comfort you, in our bed," he told her. Ginny nodded quickly.

They were silent for a few minutes, drinking their ice drinks. "Are you nervous? For tonight?" Ginny asked, worrying her lip.

Harry nodded. "I want it to be good for you," he told her and Ginny smiled softly.

"It will be, as long as it's with you," she promised.

"Bill said it will hurt you," Harry stated.

"Only the first time," Ginny countered.

"I don't want you to hurt at all," Harry pleaded.

"There's no way around that, Harry," Ginny told him. "And I know you'll be kind and slow." Harry nodded desperately. Ginny leaned over and kissed him.

"You're so beautiful, Ginny," Harry complimented, rubbing her cheek with his hand. Ginny blushed softly.

**LiveLaughLove**

Ginny looked at herself in the mirror. She felt beautiful. She was dressed in a white, lacy babydoll and thong. She'd told Harry she was going to slip into something more comfortable (which was a lie. Beautiful it may be, but it was _not_ comfortable). He'd nodded and sat down on the bed. Ginny could feel her nerves having a party in her stomach. What if he didn't like her body? What if he didn't get aroused?

Ginny shook herself. He'd gotten aroused when they'd just talked about lingerie. Surely, he would get aroused at the sight of her in this. He was a teenage boy.

Ginny looked at herself one last time and took out her mint, putting it in the sanitary bin next to the loo. "Okay, Ginny, this is it," she said, looking at her eyes in the mirror.

Ginny opened the door that led from the ensuite to the bedroom. Harry was sat on the bed in nothing but green silk boxers. It was obvious that he was already slightly aroused. Ginny's mouth went dry. Harry stared at her, his mouth slightly parted. She watched as boxers grew tighter and smiled nervously.

"You are so beautiful, Ginny," Harry told her, standing up and putting his hands on her waist. Tingles spread throughout Ginny's body. She curled her toes as he drew her close to him. She felt his erection press into her hip and bit her lip as she felt herself get wetter.

Harry's lips slowly caressed Ginny's and Ginny put her hands on his back, feeling the smooth skin there. They kissed for a long while, rediscovering every corner of each other's mouths. Ginny pulled back and undid her babydoll at the back, slipping it off her shoulders and watching as it pooled on the floor.

Standing in only a thong, Ginny swallowed at the sight of Harry's almost fully black eyes. His eyes scanned her body and Ginny felt more beautiful than ever when he pulled her near again and pressed gentle kisses to her breasts. It was like nothing she'd ever felt before as he trailed kisses over each of her breasts, backing her up to the bed as he did. She lay down and Harry knelt over her, continuing his path of kisses down her naval and to the top of her thong.

His eyes met hers and she nodded frantically. He pulled down her thong inch by inch and Ginny lifted her bum to help him. He dotted kisses on her thighs. Ginny could smell her own arousal, so Harry surely could. He wasn't deterred and Ginny began to pant. He must have done this before. His kisses drew closer and closer to her most intimate part and Ginny bit down on her lip, trying to keep her embarrassing moans in.

His tongue was the most wonderful thing Ginny had ever experienced, she thought, as he lathed her clit with it. She had long given up on being quiet, crying out over and over. "More," she panted and Harry gave it to her, licking and caressing her until she felt her climax reach its peak. She groaned and moaned and cried as she came, chanting Harry's name.

Afterwards, she lay there for a few moments, basking in the afterglow and trying to get her breaths to calm down. Harry moved up to her and looked at her worriedly. Ginny pulled her close and kissed him, tasting her on his lips. She reached down and began to push off his boxers. This was it. "Are you sure, Gin?" he panted. Ginny could feel how sure he was against her leg and she nodded.

He entered her slowly, eyes locked on hers. She nodded frantically, desperate for him to fill her. As he did, Ginny clung to him, pressing his head to her neck, where he made himself busy, trying to hide his groans until Ginny was comfortable. "Move," Ginny cried and he did.

As he finished, Ginny cried out, feeling the mini explosion inside of her. Harry collapsed on top of her and the weight was amazing. He tried to roll over but Ginny kept him in place, feeling more at home than she ever had before. She met Harry's eyes and brought him close for another passionate kiss.


End file.
